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Monthly Digest
September-2019
Dear readers,
This Monthly GK Digest is a complete docket of important news and events that occurred in a month of September 2019.
This file is important for, Bank and all exams.
Banking & Financial Awareness
1. The Union Cabinet has approved a capital infusion of
Rs 4,557 crore into IDBI Bank.
Note: The capital infusion process will be done
through recapitalization bonds. The Union government
will infuse the capital into the bank and the bank will
buy the recapitalization bonds from the government
on the same day. The capital infusion is also expected
to help IDBI to come out of Prompt Corrective Action
framework of the Reserve Bank of India.
2. The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
and the State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide
electronic payment services for beneficiaries of ESIC.
Note: As per an agreement, SBI will provide e-payment
services directly to bank accounts of all ESIC
beneficiaries and payees without any manual
intervention as an integrated and automated process.
The e-payment integration would affect the statutory
benefit payments to ESIC beneficiaries as well as other
payees on a real-time basis, reducing time lags and
delays and at the same time, help eliminate mistakes
and errors caused by repetitive and manual data
entries.
3. The Union Cabinet has cleared recapitalization of IDBI
Bank with a one-time infusion of funds by both the
government and LIC.
Note: It has approved 9,000 crore capital infusion into
IDBI Bank, including 4,557 crores by the government
as one-time re-capitalization. This will help both IDBI
and LIC, and it shows the government's commitment to
take banking to a sound level.
4. British multinational banking & financial services
company has launched a DigiSmart credit card
Standard Chartered Bank.
Note: The primary focus of the Bank on the ever-
growing segment of millennials. The credit card will
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offer instant discounts and benefits across key e-
commerce categories of travel, entertainment, fashion,
groceries, and food delivery around the year. The new
credit card is available for a nominal monthly fee of
only Rs 49. However, this fee (49-rupees) will be
waived off if the spends of the customer are Rs 5,000
or above in the previous month.
5. As per the release of the Finance Ministry, the GST
collection in the month of August stood at 98
thousand 202 crore rupees.
Note: The total number of GSTR 3B Returns filed for
the month of July up to 31st of August is around 76
lakhs. The Union government has settled 23
thousand 165 crore rupees to CGST and 16 thousand
623 crore rupees to SGST from IGST as a regular
settlement. The total revenue earned by the Central
Government and the State Governments after regular
settlement in the month of August 2019 is 40 thousand
898 crore rupees for CGST and 40 thousand 862 crores
for the SGST. 27 thousand 955 crore rupees have been
released to the states as GST compensation for the
months of June and July this year.
6. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made mandatory
for banks to link retail and MSME loans to external
interest rate benchmarks.
Note: This new norm will be effective from 1st of
October. Under this norm, banks have to link all of
their new loan products, be it personal, housing or
auto to an external benchmark rate. Banks have been
allowed to choose any benchmark market interest rate
published by the Financial Benchmarks India Private
Ltd (FBIL).
7. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made it
mandatory for banks to link all new floating-rate loans
for housing, auto and MSMEs (Micro and Small
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Enterprises) to external benchmark like repo from 1st
October 2019.
Note: The banks are free to choose one of the several
benchmarks indicated in the circular. Industry and
retail borrowers have been complaining that banks do
not pass on the entire RBI's policy rate (repo rate)
reduction to them. In 2019, the Reserve Bank has
already reduced the repo or short-term lending rate by
110 basis points, but the banks have reportedly passed
on only up to 40 bps to borrowers.
8. IDBI Bank will introduce two Repo Linked Products
–Suvidha Plus Home Loan and Suvidha Plus Auto
Loan from 10th September ____.
Note: The new Home Loan and Auto Loan products
will be offered to new customers having good credit
score and minimum income of Rs. 6 lakh per annum.
The Suvidha Plus Home Loan will be offered for up to
Rs. 75 Lakh with a tenor of up to 35 years. The
Suvidha Plus Auto loan will be offered for up to Rs.
25 lakhs covering the on-road price with a tenor of up
to 7 years.
9. ECL Finance Limited has signed a co-origination
agreement with State Bank of India to increase
access to credit for micro, small and medium
enterprises.
Note: It plans to provide business loans, machinery
loans and SME asset-backed loans ranging from Rs 3
lakh to Rs 50 lakh at a blended rate of interest. This is
the third co-origination agreement for Edelweiss, after
Bank of Baroda and Central Bank of India.
10. Punjab National Bank (PNB) has put up for sale
nearly a dozen non-performing assets (NPA) to
recover dues of more than 1,234 crore rupees.
Note: The lender has invited bids from asset
reconstruction companies non-banking financial
companies, banks, financial institutions for 11 NPA
accounts. The bank has asked the prospective bidders
to speed up due diligence.The public lender is set to
merge two peer banks ‘Oriental Bank of Commerce and
United Bank of India’ with itself following the
government's announcement to consolidate 10 public
sector banks into four bigger entities.
11. India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) sign USD
200-million loan agreement for upgrading rural roads
in Maharashtra.
Note: Under the project the roads in rural areas will
improve the condition of about 2100 kilo metres of
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rural roads to all-weather standards. This will boost
links between local resident and economic centres
across the state.
12. IDBI Bank & LIC CSL will launch a co-branded credit
card, which will be marketed to customers, agents, and
employees of the corporation and its subsidiaries.
13. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will implement an idea
to develop a mobile application with an aim to help
the visually impaired people to identify Currency
notes.
Note: For this, RBI has selected Daffodil Software Pvt
Ltd. The application should be able to identify the
denomination of legal tender banknotes of Mahatma
Gandhi Series and Mahatma Gandhi (New) series by
capturing the image of the notes that are placed in
front of the mobile camera or scrolled across it. The
mobile application should be searchable via voice
option in all app stores.
14. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has rolled out of
Aadhaar Enabled Payment System Services (AePS).
Note: With the launch of AePS, the India Post
Payments Bank (IPPB) has now become single largest
platform in India for providing interoperable banking
services to customers (of any bank) by leveraging last
mile unprecedented reach of Indian Postal network.
15. The ‘GST Network’ has decided to make Aadhaar
authentication or physical verification mandatory for
new dealers from January 2020.
Note: In the first phase, Aadhaar authentication will be
mandatory for new dealers.Afterwards, all those
enrolled on GSTN would be asked to provide their
Aadhaar numbers.As refunding is a big issue, the GSTN
decided on complete online refunding from 24th
September this year from a single source, either by the
Central GST or state GST. Those who do not want to
give their Aadhaar numbers would have to undergo
physical verification.
16. The Union Govt. waives three-year lock-in period on
investments made by NRIs in IDFs.
Note: As per Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
notification, the Union government has waived the
three-year lock-in period on investments made by non-
residents in infrastructure debt funds (IDFs), to
promote funding in the infrastructure sector.Now, any
amount of interest received by non-resident or foreign
company from investment in such IDFs is charged at a
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reduced tax rate of 5%. IDFs are investment vehicles to
accelerate the flow of long-term debt to the sector.
17. Airtel Payments Bank has launched savings account
services -- Bharosa.
Note: Bharosa savings account would offer Rs 5 lakh
personal accident insurance on maintaining the
balance of Rs 500 along with one debit transaction per
month. Customers would also be eligible for cashback,
if they decided to receive government subsidies in
their Bharosa account or if they made cash deposits in
it. Bharosa savings account customers can also
withdraw cash, check their balance or access a mini
statement of their account at over 6,50,000 AePS
(Aadhaar-enabled payment system) enabled outlets
across India
18. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities has developed a Management
Information (MIS) for stakeholders of Accessible India
campaign.
Note: Union Minister for Social Justice and
Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot launched the
MIS portal in New Delhi.The MIS portal will bring all
the nodal ministries and States and Union Territories
on a single platform for monitoring the progress being
made against each target of Accessible India
Campaign.The portal will be useful in maintaining all
the function on a digital platform and capture data on a
real-time basis.
19. India Post has expanded speed post service to six new
foreign destinations in Asia, Europe and South
America.
Note: The Department of Posts has announced
commencing of International Speed Post (EMS)
Service to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Ecuador,
Kazakhstan, Lithuania and North Macedonia. Express
Mail Service (EMS) is a premium service that enables
its users to send documents and merchandise faster
and with the added facility of being able to track the
movement of the item on the internet. The EMS service
to these countries will henceforth be available at major
Post offices across India.
20. Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified rate
of interest on Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for
2018-19 deposits 8.65%.
Note: The EPFO has been settling EPF withdrawal
claims at 8.55% interest rate, approved for 2017-
18.The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation
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(EPFO), is an organization tasked to assist the Central
Board of Trustees, a statutory body formed by the
Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous
Provisions Act, 1952.It is under the administrative
control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment,
Government of India.
21. The Union Finance Ministry has proposed to slash the
corporate tax rate for Domestic companies.
Note: There are six amendments in the Income Tax Act
and Finance Bill 2019 which will cost Rs 1.45 lakh
crore.The corporate tax rate after surcharge will now
be 25.17% inclusive of all cess and surcharges for
domestic companies. The corporate tax rate has been
brought down from 30% to 22%.The new domestic
company incorporated on or after October 1, 2019, to
pay income tax at 15%.Domestic company to pay
income tax at 22%.Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT)
reduced from 18.5% to 15%.The listed companies that
announced buyback before July 5, 2019, will not be
charged tax on buyback of shares.The enhanced
surcharge shall not apply on capital gains arising on
sale of any security including derivatives in the hands
of foreign portfolio investors.
22. HDFC Bank has announced to organise 1,000 Grameen
loan melas over the next six months with an aim to
expand its retail portfolio.
Note: These Grameen loan melas (or village loan fairs)
will be held across more than 300 districts and cover
around 6,000 villages across India.Customers can avail
of the tractor, auto, two-wheeler and Agri loans or
open current or savings accounts, it said. Besides, self-
help groups (SHGs) can avail of finance through the
bank’s Sustainable Livelihood Initiative.
23. Bank of Baroda has launched a digital platform
‘Baroda Kisan’ to provide solutions for all major
agricultural requirements__
Note: The agri-digital platform has been executed by
IT Centre of Excellence (ITCoE) of Bank of Baroda in
partnership with IBM India. The web-based portal will
cater to all the needs of farmers, including weather
forecasts, crop conditions, the moisture levels of the
soil, information on crop worms, market prices, special
crop-related consultation.
24. ‘Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited’ has
announced a bancassurance corporate agency
agreement with a state-owned bank Indian Bank.
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Note: Under the agreement, Max Bupa will provide
comprehensive health insurance solutions and services
to over 40 million customers of Indian Bank spread
across 2800 branch network, through a slew of digital
touchpoints.As part of the tie-up, Max Bupa’s offerings
will include both retail and group health insurance
products besides Indemnity and Fixed Benefit
products.
25. SBI Life Insurance has signed a corporate agency
agreement with city-based Repco Home Finance Ltd to
offer the company’s range of products to RHFL
customers.
Note: The partnership would see over 148 branches
and 27 satellite centres of RHFL spread across the
country to offer SBI Life Insurance products to its
customers
26. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered growth
projection for India by 50 basis points.
Note:Now, the growth rate is expected at 6.5% during
the current fiscal 2019-20.This is the second
successive lowering of estimates by the regional
development bank in three months.This reduction is
mainly on account of weaker expansion in the first
quarter (April-June) of the current fiscal.It also
predicted that India is expected to rebound to 7.2%
growth in the FY 2020-21.
Obituaries
1. The four-time Emmy Award-winning actress Valerie
Harper passed away after years of fighting cancer.
Note: She also has Golden Globe award for playing the
brash New Yorker on “The Mary Tyler Moore
Show”.Valerie Harper began her career as a dancer on
Broadway, making her debut in the musical “Take Me
Along” in 1959.
2. Noted novelist, play writer Kiran Nagarkar passed
away in Mumbai.
Note: Nagarkar’s epic novel 'Cuckold' and riotously
funny 'Ravan and Eddie' trilogy count among the most
celebrated works of fiction by an Indian writer in
English. His first novel “Saat Sakkam Techaalis’ or
'Seven Sixes Are Forty-Three' published in 1974 just as
Indira Gandhi was turning increasingly authoritarian
as prime minister.
3. Congress leader and former MP Sukhdev Singh Libra
passed away after a prolonged illness.
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27. Airtel Payments Bank and HDFC ERGO General
Insurance Company under the corporate agency tie-
up launched an innovative -- Mosquito Diseases
Protection Policy (MDPP).
Note: The partnership aims to bring together the deep
distribution network of Airtel Payments Bank and
the strong innovation pipeline of HDFC ERGO to
contribute to financial inclusion in the
country.Mosquito Disease Protection Policy offers
cover against seven common mosquito-borne diseases
- Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis,
Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) and
Zika virus.
28. To celebrate 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak
Dev the Nepal Rastra Bank has issued
commemorative coins of 2500, 1000 and 100 Nepali
rupees.Note: Dr. Chiranjibi Nepal (Nepal Rastra Bank
Governor) and Manjeev Singh Puri (Indian
Ambassador) released commemorative
coins.Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee
President Sardar Gobind Singh Longowal, Jathedar of
Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh and many other
prominent Sikh leaders from Punjab also joined the
launching ceremony.on this occasion, a book "Sikh
Heritage of Nepal" was also released.
Note: Sukhdev Singh Libra was the member of the
14th (Fatehgarh Sahib) and 15th (Ropar) Lok Sabha
and MLA in Punjab in 1985. He was a member of Rajya
Sabha from 1998-2004. Libra had also served as a
member of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak
Committee (SGPC).
4. Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe passed
away in Singapore.
Note: He was hospitalized in Singapore for months for
an undisclosed ailment. Robert Gabriel Mugabe was a
Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served
as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (from 1980 to 1987)
and then as President (from 1987 to 2017). Mugabe
was forced to step down by the military in November
2017 following nationwide mass protests.
5. Legendary Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir passed
away after suffering a cardiac arrest in Lahore.
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Note: Qadir, who played in 67 Tests and 104 ODIs had
a total 368 wickets in his international career between
1977 and 1993. Abul Qadir also served as Pakistan's
chief selector and he picked the World T20-winning
squad in 2009.
6. Eminent Supreme Court lawyer and former union
minister Ram Jethmalani passed away in New Delhi.
Note: Mr. Jethmalani was a senior lawyer in the
Supreme Court, a union minister for law and urban
development in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet and
the chairman of the Bar Council of India. Jethmalani
joined the bar at the age of 17 and earned the
distinction of being the youngest advocate allowed to
practice law. In 2016, he was elected to the Rajya
Sabha on RJD ticket.
7. Actor and Kathak dancer Veeru Krishnan passed
away in Mumbai.
Note: He was best known for his work in films like
Raja Hindustani, Dulhe Raja, Akele Hum Akele Tum
among others. He has trained several film and TV
actors like Katrina Kaif, Athiya Shetty, Priyanka
Chopra, Karanvir Bohra and others.
8. Climate change campaigner of the South Pacific and
Prime Minister of Tongan Akilisi Pohiva passed away.
Note: Pohiva's political career was marked with
constant battles against the monarchy of the South
Pacific nation. He was awarded the Defender of
Democracy Award in 2013 by the Parliamentarians
for Global Action, the first Pacific Islander to receive
the prize.
9. The renowned Malayalam writer Sivaraman
Cheriyanad passed away in Kerala.
Note: Sivaraman started his career as an upper
primary school teacher and was a recipient of the
National Teachers Award in 1989. He received the Abu
Dhabi Sakthi Award in 1988 and the A.P. Kalakkad
Award in 2009.He received Kerala Sahithya Akademi
scholarship in 1990-91 for his study on the works of
writer Parappuram.
10. Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker and
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Kodela
Sivaprasada Rao passed away in Hyderabad.
Note: Kodela reportedly attempted suicide at his
residence in the city.He was six-time MLA from
Narsaraopet constituency in Guntur district. In 2014,
post-bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Rao was made
the first Speaker of the Assembly.
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11. Popular filmmaker from the Ramsay Brothers passed
away in Mumbai -- Shyam Ramsay.
Note: He is one of the seven Ramsay Brothers who
were active in Indian cinema throughout the 1970s
and the 1980s. They produced the number of horror
movies such as Darwaza, Purana Mandir and Veerana
12. Tunisia’s former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali
passed away.
Note: Mr. Ben Ali led Tunisia for 23 years and was
credited with delivering stability and some economic
prosperity.He came to power in 1987, ousting Habib
Bourguiba to become Tunisia’s second-ever
president.In 2011, he was forced from office following
mass street protests.
13. Former cricketer Madhav Apte passed away at the
Breach Candy Hospital Mumbai.
Note:He has played 67 first-class matches (46 Ranji
Trophy for Bombay and three for Bengal), scored 3336
runs, with six centuries and 16 half-centuries.Madhav
Apte was the first Indian opener to aggregate over 400
runs in a Test series (460 runs against West Indies in
1953)
14. Popular Telugu film comedian Venu Madhav passed
away at the Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad.
Note: Venu Madhav (born in Kodad in Suryapet
district) wasn’t active in cinema for quite a while
owing to his ill health. Venu Madhav has acted in
around 170 movies in a career spanning over two
decades.
15. Former French President Jacques Chirac passed
away in Paris, France
Note:Chirac was served as President of France and ex
officio Co-Prince of Andorra (1995 to 2007) and
twice as Prime Minister of France (from 1974 to
1976 and from 1986 to 1988).He has won many
National and Foreign honours, Ig Nobel prize for
peace (1996) and State Prize of the Russian Federation
(2007).
16. An American television producer 4-time Emmy
Award winner passed away at his home in Los
Angeles -- J. Michael Mendel.
Note:He won four Emmys for ‘Lisa’s Wedding’ (in
1995), Homer’s Phobia (in 1997), Trash of the Titans
(in 1998)and Pickle Rick (in 2018).He joined ‘The
Simpsons’ (in 1989), where he produced shows such as
The PJs, The Oblongs, Drawn Together, Sit Down, Shut
Up, and Napoleon Dynamite.
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17. Bollywood actor Viju Khote passed away in Mumbai
due to multiple organ failure___
Note:Mr. Viju Khote was best known for his role in the
blockbuster film 'Sholay' in which he starred as dacoit
Kalia. The actor had been working in the film industry
(Hindi and Marathi films- over 300) since 1964.
18. Former Foreign Secretary of India K P S Menon (Jr.)
passed away at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala__
Important Days
1. The ten-day long Ganesh Utsav festival begins with
great devotion.
Note: The festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesh, who
is a symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a major attraction in Maharashtra,
where people celebrate it with great zeal. On the first
day of the festival. Devotees are welcoming the idols of
Lord Ganesh to their homes and at public pandals in
various parts of the state. In Tamil Nadu, the annual
festival of the famous hill-top Ganesh temple in
Trichy, popularly known as the Malaikottai (Hill Fort).
2. The entire month of September will be celebrated as
the Rashtriya Poshan Maah.
Note: This year the theme is ‘Complementary
Feeding’. POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi- ministerial
convergence mission with the vision to address
malnutrition with a targeted approach by 2022. Under
the Poshan Abhiyaan, the Union government has set a
target to reduce the stunting rate in children from 35%
to 25%.
3. ICMR-NIN conducting programmes on occasion of
National Nutrition Week till 7th September.
Note: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-
National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) is going to
implement the effectiveness of diet and lifestyle
intervention with respect to lifestyle diseases like
hypertension and diabetes. This will be done through
information, education and communication through
Anganwadi Workers as a centre of knowledge
dissemination with respect to these diseases.
4. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
launched a first-ever ‘Terracotta Grinder’ at Sewapuri
in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Note: The Terracotta Grinder will grind the wasted
and broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-
making. This Terracotta grinder will make grinding of
wasted pottery items faster than the traditional mortar
and pestle. This will also create more job opportunities
in the villages.
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Note: Mr. Menon (Indian Foreign Service-officer-1951)
had served as the Foreign Secretary of India from 1987
to 1989.KPS Menon (junior) was best known for his
services as an ambassador to various countries,
including Bangladesh, Egypt, Japan and China.K P S
Menon (Junior) was the son of first Foreign Secretary
of independent India K P S Menon (senior).
5. Teachers' Day is being celebrated throughout the
country on the birthday of educationist and former
President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Note: Dr. Radhakrishnan was India's first Vice
President and second President. President Ramnath
Kovind has given the National Teachers’ Awards to 46
teachers at a function in New Delhi. The awards have
been given to meritorious teachers, who through their
commitment have not only improved the quality of
school education but also enriched the lives of their
students.
6. The United States and 10 Southeast Asian countries
kicked off maritime drills at the Sattahip Naval Base in
Thailand.
Note: As part of a joint exercise extending into the
flashpoint the South China Sea with eight warships,
four aircraft and more than a thousand personnel. The
drills come at a time of stepped-up U.S. engagement in
the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast
Asian nations over the South China Sea. The exercise
includes 8 warships and 4 aircraft from 7 countries
and more than 1,000 personnel from all 11
participants namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, Vietnam, and the US.
7. The International Literacy Day (ILD) is being
observed every year on 8th September.
Note: It is an opportunity for Governments, civil society
and stakeholders to highlight improvements in world
literacy ates and reflect on the world’s remaining
literacy challenges. The Theme of International Literacy
Day 2019 is Literacy and Multilingualism. After the
2011 census, literacy rate India 2011 was found to be
74.04%.
8. The World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is being
observed on 10th September.
Note: The theme of 2019 is “Working Together to
Prevent Suicide”. The WSPD is organized by the
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP).
9. The International Day for South-South Cooperation
is being observed every year on 12th September.
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Note: International days are occasions to educate the
public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will
and resources to address global problems and to
celebrate and reinforce the achievements of humanity.
The theme for 2019: From Commitment to Action —
Follow up to Buenos Aires Plan of Action+40. South-
South Cooperation is a term historically used by
policymakers and academics to describe the exchange
of resources, technology, and knowledge between
developing countries.
10. Engineers’ Day is celebrated every year in India on
15th September.
Note: The day commemorate the birthday of one of the
greatest engineers in India, Bharat Ratna Sir
Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya. Mokshagundam
Visvesvaraya was an Indian engineer, scholar,
statesman and the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918.
He is a recipient of the Indian’s highest honour, the
Bharat Ratna (1955).The Telangana state celebrates
Engineers day on 11th July on the birthday of Ali Nawaz
Jung Bahadur.
11. The International Day of Democracy is being
observed across the world every year on 15th
September.
Note: The 2019 theme for democracy day was
‘participation’. This year's International Day of
Democracy is an opportunity to recall that democracy
is about people. Democracy is built on inclusion, equal
treatment and participation.It is a fundamental building
block for peace, sustainable development and human
rights.
12. The International Day for the Preservation of the
Ozone Layer is being observed every year on 16th
September.
Note: The Ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas which
protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet
radiation of the sun and thus helping preserve life on
the planet.The theme for this year celebrates over three
decades of remarkable international cooperation to
protect the ozone layer and the climate under the
Montreal Protocol. It reminds us that we must keep up
the momentum to ensure healthy people and a healthy
planet.
13. World Bamboo Day is observed every year on 18th
September.
Note: world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo after
China with over 130 species.
14. The World Water Monitoring Day is observed every
year on 18th September.
Note: It is an international education and outreach
program initiated by America’s Clean Water
Foundation (ACWF) and now coordinated by Water at
Environment Federation (WEF) and the International
Water Association (IWA).The day aims to build public
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awareness of the importance of protecting water
resources around the world by engaging people to
conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.
15. The International Day of Peace is observed around
the world ever years on 21st September.
Note: It is dedicated to world peace and specifically
the absence of war & violence such as might be
occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone
for humanitarian aid access.The theme for 2019 is
“Climate Action for Peace”.The theme draws attention
to the importance of combatting climate change as a
way to protect and promote peace throughout the
world
16. World Alzheimer’s Day is observed every year on 21st
September.
Note: The day raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and
dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common
form of dementia, a group of disorders that impairs
mental functioning.Some of the most common signs of
Alzheimer’s Disease include memory loss, problems
with language, difficulty performing familiar tasks,
changes in personality and difficulty keeping track of
things.
17. International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is
celebrated annually across the world on 23rd
September.
Note: The 2019 Theme of International Day of Sign
Languages (IDSL) is ‘Sign Language Rights for All!’.
18. President Ramnath Kovind inaugurates the 6th India
Water Week-2019 (IWW-2019) in New Delhi.
Note: The ‘IWW-2019’ is being organised by the
Ministry of Jal-Shakti, Department of Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
Government of India. The theme of Water Week-2019 is
"Water Cooperation - Coping with 21st Century
Challenges". The objective of IWW-2019’ is to bring
new ideas for mutual-cooperation for sustainable water
management in the context of changing basin dynamics
across administrative boundaries.
19. The World Maritime Day (WMD) 2019 is being
observed on 26th September (last Thursday of Sep).
Note: 2019 Theme: ‘Empowering women in the
maritime community’.The National Maritime Day 2019
was observed on 5th April 2019
20. The International Day for the Total Elimination of
Nuclear Weapons is observed every year on 26th
September.
Note:The objective of the day to provide an occasion
for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to
global nuclear disarmament as a high priority.
21. The World Tourism Day (WTD) is being observed
annually on 27th September.
Note:
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➢ Andhra Pradesh has bagged the Best State
Award for overall growth in tourism category
while Goa and Madhya Pradesh were joint
winners in the Adventure Tourism category.
➢ Uttarakhand was awarded best film
promotion friendly state and Telangana for the
best state in the innovative use of IT category.
22. Internet search engine ‘Google’ celebrated its 21st
birthday on 27th September.
Note: American multinational technology company
‘Google’ has shown this special occasion of the 20-year
journey by making doodles (An old computer is shown
in Google's doodle).Google was founded in 1998 by
Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were PhD
students at Stanford University in California. Google
(operating in 100 languages) is one of the four big
technology companies along with Apple, Amazon,
Facebook.
23. World Rabies Day is observed every year across the
world on 28th September.
Note: The day also marks the anniversary of French
chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur's death, who
New Appointments
1. President Shri Ram Nath Kovind has approved the
appointment of new Governors of Five states.
Note: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat
Singh Koshyari (77-years) has been appointed as the
new Governor of Maharashtra. Former Union
Minister Arif Mohammed Khan (68-years) will take
the responsibility of Kerala governor. Former Union
Minister and BJP leader, Bandaru Dattatraya (72-
years) will be the new Governor of Himachal Pradesh
in place of Kalraj Mishra (78-years) who has been
given the charge of Governor of Rajasthan. Former
Tamil Nadu BJP chief, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan
(58-years) is the new Governor of Telangana.
2. Oleksiy Honcharuk has been appointed as the
youngest-ever Prime Minister of Ukraine.
Note: The Prime Minister is appointed by the president
with the consent of the Verkhovna Rada. The Prime
Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government,
presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine,
which is the highest body of the executive branch of the
Ukrainian government.
3. President Donald Trump has nominated Indian
American as a judge of the US District Court for the
Southern District of California -- Shireen Mathews.
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developed the first rabies vaccine.The World Rabies
Day 2019 theme is Rabies: Vaccinate to Eliminate.
➢ Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute
inflammation of the brain in humans and other
mammals.
24. International Translation Day is celebrated every
year on 30th September.
Note: International Translation Day is meant as an
opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language
professionals. The celebrations have been promoted by
FIT (the International Federation of Translators) ever
since it was set up in 1953.
25. World Heart Day (WHD) is celebrated every year to
create awareness about heart disease and stroke
prevention 29th September.
Note:The causes for such diseases are alcohol abuse,
tobacco consumption, leading an unhealthy lifestyle
with irregular sleep, unhealthy food and sedentary
lifestyle.The theme for the World Heart Day 2019 is
“My Heart, Your Heart”.The World Heart Federation
created this global campaign in the hopes of uniting
people all around the world to encourage heart-healthy
living across the globe.
Note: Currently, Matthews is a partner at Jones Day, the
fifth-largest law firm in the country, in San Diego.
Matthews earned her BA, magna cum laude, from
Georgetown University and her law degree, cum laude,
from Duke University School of Law. Matthews will be
the first Asian Pacific American woman and first
Indian-American to serve as an Article III federal judge
in the Southern District
4. India’s Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora has
assumed Chairmanship of Association of World
Election Bodies (AWEB) for the term 2019-21.
Note: India was unanimously nominated to the Vice-
Chair of AWEB at the last General Assembly held at
Bucharest (in 2017). The AWEB Flag was handed over
to the new Chairman, Sunil Arora and it will remain
with Election Commission of India for the two-year
term till 2021. More than 110 delegates from 45
countries attended the meeting.
5. Senior diplomat B Bala Bhaskar has been appointed
as the new Indian Ambassador to Norway.
Note: He will replace Krishan Kumar, who has been
heading the Indian mission in Norway since July 2018.
Formerly he served as a Joint Secretary of the WANA
division of the MEA that deals with all the matters
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relating to India’s trade with WANA region comprising
19 countries.
6. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has appointed Prince
Abdulaziz bin Salman as its new Energy minister.
Note: Earlier, He had served as the Deputy and State
Energy Minister for several years. Prince Abdulaziz
(son of the King of Saudi Arabia) replaced the long-time
oil industry veteran Khalid Al Falih. It is the first time a
member of the ruling Al Saud family has held the
energy minister post in the world’s top oil exporter.
7. CoA of BCCI has appointed a three-member
Independent Supervisory Committee to run the
cricketing affairs of Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) and
conduct fresh elections.
Note: The CoA, chaired by Vinod Rai, took the decision
after deliberating on the issue during a meeting in
Mumbai. The Committee will have the power to
supervise, regulate and suspend the powers, duties and
functioning of all post holders in the BCA, appoint or
replace electoral officer, ombudsman and ethics officer.
8. The Chairman of the country’s premier news agency
Press Trust of India (PTI) -- Vijay Kumar Chopra.
Note: Vijay Kumar Chopra succeeds N Ravi, publisher
and former Editor-in-Chief of the Hindu. Publisher of
Times of India, Vineet Jain (MD of Bennett, Coleman
and Company Limited) unanimously elected as Vice-
Chairman of PTI. The Press Trust of India Ltd. (PTI) is
the largest news agency in India.
9. Justice Vikram Nath has been appointed as Chief
Justice of Gujarat High Court.
Note: He was administered the oath of office by
Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan in
Gandhinagar. At present Mr Nath posted as a judge in
the Allahabad High Court. The Gujarat High Court is the
High Court of the state of Gujarat established under the
Bombay State Re-organisation Act, 1960 after the state
of Gujarat split from Bombay State.
10. President Donald Trump has fired his National
Security Adviser (NSA) -- John Bolton.
Note: Deputy National Security Advisor Charles Martin
Kupperman (68-years) was made interim United States
National Security Advisor for President Donald Trump.
NSC serves as the chief in-house advisor to the
President of the United States on national security
issues. National Security Advisor (NSC) Advisor is a
senior aide in the Executive Office of the President,
based at the West Wing of the White House.
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11. Jack Ma has stepped down as executive chairman of
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
Note: The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Daniel Zhang
succeed him at Asia’s most valuable company. Jack will
remain on the board until Alibaba’s annual meeting of
shareholders in 2020. Jack Ma (former English teacher)
started Alibaba.com in 1999 as a business-to-business
marketplace with 17 co-founders.
12. Former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya took oath
as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
Note: The Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court
V. Ramasubramanian administered him, oath of Office
and Secrecy at Rajbhavan in Shimla. Dattatreya has
replaced Kalraj Mishra who is now taking over as the
Governor of Rajasthan.
13. Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra took charge as principal
secretary to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Note: He succeeds Nripendra Misra who stepped down
recently. Mr Mishra holds a PhD in Economics /
Development Studies from the University of Sussex in
England. The United Nations conferred him with the
SASAKAWA award in 2019 for his efforts towards
disaster risk reduction.
14. Former Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha has
been appointed as the new principal advisor to the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Note: P K Sinha served as the Cabinet Secretary from
13th June 2015 to 30th August 2019. He graduated in
Economics from St Stephen's college and completed his
Post Graduation from Delhi School of Economics.
15. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed
veteran Indian Army official Lieutenant General
Abhijit Guha(retired).as the head of the world body's
observer mission in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah.
Note: Mr. Guha has been appointed as the Chair of the
Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and
head of the UNMHA. Guha succeeds Danish Lieutenant
General Michael Lollesgaard, who served in those posts
from January 31 to July 31, 2019.
16. Justice P. Lakshmana Reddy (Retired) has been
sworn in as the Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh for five
years.
Note: Governor Biswabhusan Hairchandan
administered the oath of office to Justice Reddy at a
function in Vijayawada.He is the first Lokayukta to be
assuming charge since the state bifurcated in 2014. The
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‘Lokayukta’ is an anti-corruption ombudsman
organization in the Indian states.
17. President of the Asia Development Bank (ADB)
Takehiko Nakao has planned to step down from the
post on 16th January 2020.
Note: Mr. Nakao took the ADB post in 2013 and was
re-elected to a second five-year term in 2016.The
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional
development bank established on 19th December 1966.
As of 23rd March 2019, Asian Development Bank has
68 members (49 members from the Asian and Pacific
Region and 19 members from Other Regions).
18. The Navies of Singapore, India and Thailand have
begun their first joint maritime exercise ‘SITMEX-
2019’ in Port Blair.
Note: The Singapore’s Navy (RSN), Royal Thailand
Navy (RTN) and Indian Navy (IN) are conducting the
five-day exercise (till 20th September 2019).The
objective of the ‘SITMEX’ exercise is to bolster maritime
relationships and contribute significantly to enhancing
overall maritime security.This would also strengthen
the mutual confidence amongst three navies in terms of
interoperability and development of a common
understanding of procedures.
19. US President Donald Trump has appointed the
National Security Adviser (NSA) of the United States
of America --Robert O’Brien.
Note: Robert O’Brien will be replacing John Bolton who
was fired by President Trump last week. Currently,
Robert C O’Brien serving as the special presidential
envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State
Department.National Security Advisor (NSA) is a senior
aide in the Executive Office of the President, based at
the West Wing of the White House.
20. Veteran actor Jagdeep has been given the prestigious
Lifetime Achievement honour at International Indian
Film Academy (IIFA) awards-2019.
Note: Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri (known as Jagdeep) is
an Indian film actor and comedian who has appeared in
more than 400 films. He played Soorma Bhopali in
Sholay (1975), Machchar in Purana Mandir (1984),
Salman Khan's dad in Andaz Apna Apna (1994) and
directed the movie Soorma Bhopali, with his character
as the protagonist.
21. Short movie Moti Bagh has been nominated for
Oscars.
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Note: The film made with the financial assistance from
Prasar Bharati is about the life of an 82- years old
farmer from Uttarakhand, Vidyadutt Sharma. Mr
Sharma lives in Saanguda village of Kaljikhal block of
Pauri district in Uttarakhand. It has been directed by a
three-time national award winner Nirmal Chandra
Dandariyal. The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony,
presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences (AMPAS), will honour the best films of 2019
on 9th February 2020 in Los Angeles.
22. Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria has appointed as the new
chief of Indian Air Force for two years.
Note: Currently, Air Marshal Bhadauria is the vice
chief of air staff. He will replace Air Chief Marshal BS
Dhanoa, who is going to retire 30th of this month. Chief
of the Air Staff is the professional head and the
commander of the Indian Air Force.
23. The Union government had increased the strength of
its judges (including the Chief Justice of India) from 31
to 34.
Note: Four separate notifications have been issued by
the Ministry of Law and Justice on the appointments of
four judges in Supreme Court. Justices Krishna Murari
(Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice), Justices
SR Bhat (Rajasthan High Court Chief), Justices V
Ramasubramanian (Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief
Justice) and Justices Hrishikesh Roy (Kerala High Court
Chief Justice) were appointed as judges of the Supreme
Court of India.
24. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has appointed long-
serving banker ‘Alison Rose’ as chief executive.
Note: She has become the first female boss of a major
UK lender. Alison Rose will replace Ross McEwan on 1st
November. Currently, Rose is deputy head of the
group's NatWest Holdings retail business and its
commercial and private banking division.
25. Bollywood Actor Govinda will be brand ambassador
of Madhya Pradesh.
Note: Govinda is one of the most successful Bollywood
stars in the 1990s, had a five-year stint as Congress Lok
Sabha MP from Mumbai North constituency (in 2004).
The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to set up
a film city, as several production units are visiting
places like Maheshwar, Mandu and Bhopal to shoot
movies.
26. Madhukar Kamath has been elected chairman of the
Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2019-20.
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Note: Currently, Mr. Kamath is the chairman emeritus
of DDB Mudra group and mentor of Interbrand
India.The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) of India is
a non-profit circulation-auditing organisation, founded
in 1948.
27. Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas has been appointed as
the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of
Guinea Bissau, with residence in Dakar.
Note:Currently, Mar. Srinivas is the country’s
Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal.Guinea-Bissau is
a tropical country on West Africa’s Atlantic coast.
28. Army officer has become the first woman officer from
Arunachal Pradesh to be elevated to the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army-- Ponung
Doming.
Note:She was commissioned into the Indian Army as a
Lieutenant in 2008.Last month, Wing Commander
Shaliza Dhami became the first woman officer of the
Indian Air Force to be elevated as the Flight
Commander of a flying unit.The lieutenant colonel is a
rank of commissioned officer in the armies, above a
major and below a colonel.
29. Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva has been
selected as the new managing director of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a five-year term.
Note: She will succeed Christine Lagarde, who is
leaving to become head of the European Central Bank
(ECB). Ms Georgieva is the first person from an
emerging market economy to lead the IMF.The IMF
Important News – India
1. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu dedicated the
country's longest electrified rail tunnel between
Cherlopalli & Rapuru.
Note: He also dedicated the electrified railway line
between Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalli. The length
of the rail tunnel is 6.6 kilometre. The Vice-President
also flagged-off a new inter-city superfast express train
between Guduru and Vijayawada. Mr Naidu stressed
the need to step up investment to strengthen and
modernize infrastructure, be it railways, airways, ports,
inland waterways, rural roads, warehouses and cold
storage units.
2. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced the
approval of the new ‘Gorewada International Zoo’ in
Nagpur district.
Note: The Zoo will have attractions like Bio Park,
Indian Safari, African Safari, Night Safari, Research,
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(Created in 1945) is governed by and accountable to
the 189 countries that make up its near-global
membership.
30. Madhuri Dixit has been chosen as "goodwill
ambassador" by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in
Maharashtra.
Note: Madhuri Dixit will be seen in a video titled ‘Let’s
Vote' speaking about the democratic process and role
of voters in the development of the
country.Maharashtra State Assembly polls are
scheduled for 21st October and results will be declared
on 24th October 2019.
31. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will take over as the
new Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).
Note: Mr. Rawat will replace Air Chief BS Dhanoa.The
Chairman Chiefs of Staffs Committee is the senior-most
officer in the three defence forces.On Independence
Day 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced
the government's decision to replace the post of
Chairman, COSC with a permanent Chief of the Defence
Staff (CDS).
32. Suresh Chitturi has been appointed as chairman of the
International Egg Commission (IEC) for next two
years.
Note:He will be the first chair from Asia in the history
of the International Egg Commission (IEC).Currently,
Mr. Chitturi is the Vice Chairman and Managing
Director (MD) of India’s leading poultry firm ‘Srinivasa
Farms’.
Education and Training, facilities for tourists, etc. The
task of construction of Indian Safari and ancillary
activities, Water Reservoir and Gorewada Reserve has
been given to FDCM Ltd. with Government Grants.The
Gorewada International Zoo is likely to be one of the
largest captive Zoo Safari in India with over 1914
Hectares of land adjoining the Gorewada Lake.
3. The Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has
launched a new scheme of Annual Health Check-up for
CGHS beneficiaries.
Note: Mr. Harsh Varshan also inaugurated state-of-the-
art CGHS Bhawan in New Delhi. Dr Harsh Vardhan
stated that CGHS services should be made available in
100 cities by 2022. The CGHS services which started in
1954 from Delhi expanded to only 25 cities till 2014.
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4. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced to use
tiny earthen pots or ‘Kulhad’ for serving tea at around
400 railway stations.
Note: The government has decided to increase the
import duty on incense sticks by 30% to benefit
domestic producers. ‘Kulhar’ is a traditional handle-less
clay cup from North India that is typically unpainted
and unglazed, and meant to be disposable.
5. Bollywood has taken lead to promote India’s plastic-
free movement with Varun Dhawan's upcoming movie -
- Coolie No. 1.
Note: The movie’s producer Deepshikha Deshmukh
announced that the movie is going plastic-free and
urged her peers to do the same. Actor Varun Dhawan
too applauded the move and tweeted that being a
plastic-free nation is the need of the hour.
6. The 14th conference of Parties (COP 14) to the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification in Greater
Noida.
Note: The Conference will focus on desertification and
degradation of land and will go on till 13th September
2019.This Conference will provide a framework for
countries to restore the land and protect human
health.The main objective of the convention is to
combat desertification and mitigate the effects of
drought in countries experiencing serious drought or
desertification.
7. Tech giant Google has signed a statement of intent with
the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) for rolling
out 'Build for Digital India' programme.
Note: The programme will offer a platform for
engineering students to develop market-ready,
technology-based solutions that address key social
problems. Google will also offer mentorship sessions in
product design, strategy and technology to the most
promising products and prototypes.
8. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has inaugurated
the new building of ‘Garvi Gujarat Bhavan’ at Akbar
Road, New Delhi.
Note: The Bhavan is equipped with traditional and
modern artefacts and technologies and will serve as a
home for Gujaratis in the national capital. The new
structure is built on an area of 20,325 square meters
and have 19 suits rooms, 59 regular rooms, a
restaurant, a public dining hall, a business centre, a
souvenir shop, a multi-purpose hall, conference hall,
four lounges, a gymnasium, a yoga centre, a terrace
garden and a library. This ‘Garvi Gujarat Bhavan’
building has been built at a cost of around 131 crore
rupees by the Gujarat Government.
9. Eight United States-made Apache AH-64E attack
helicopters have been inducted into the Indian Air
Force (IAF) in a ceremony at the Pathankot Air Force
station.
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Note: The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most
advanced multi-role combat helicopters. The IAF had
signed a multi-billion-dollar contract with the US
Government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for
purchase of 22 Apache helicopters. Apache helicopter
can deliver a variety of weapons which includes air to
ground hellfire missiles, 70 MM Hydra rockets and air
to air stinger missiles.
10. India has announced a contribution of USD 22 million
to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM)
for the 6th replenishment cycle (2020-22).
Note: This is an increase of 10% over the amount
contributed by the US in the 5th cycle. The Global Fund
is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria. As an international
organization, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests
more than USD 4 billion a year to support programs run
by local experts in more than 100 countries.
11. The Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh
Puri has inaugurated the new “Aerodrome Control
Tower” at IGI Airport in Delhi.
Note: This ATC tower is India’s tallest (102-metres)
and most technologically advanced air traffic control
(ATC) tower. It will enhance safety and boost the
efficiency of air transport management services. The
earth-quake resistant building has been constructed at
the cost of approximately Rs 250 crore. This allows for
simultaneous landings from the same direction on
parallel runways which will further increase the
capacity of the airport.
12. Joint military training, Exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas –
2019’ is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord,
Washington, the USA.
Note: Yudh Abhyas-2019 will provide an opportunity
to the armed forces of both countries to train in an
integrated manner at Battalion level with joint planning
at Brigade level. It will be the 15th edition of the joint
exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running
military training and defence corporation endeavours
between India and USA.
13. The Union Minister Shri Prahlad Singh Patel flagged off
first-ever Mobile Science Exhibition (SCIENCE
EXPLORER) for entire Ladakh Region.
Note: The Minister simultaneously launched 25 new
Mobile Science Exhibition buses for Aspirational
Districts of India. This will help to quickly and
effectively transform these districts named as
‘Aspirational Districts’. The buses will travel to schools
in Aspirational Districts throughout the year except
during the vacations and will aim to create scientific
awareness among the rural children.
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14. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has launched IPV6
services to bring a new era of the internet in the
country.
Note: This service is launched from Bangalore and shall
be available to all the customers across the country in
next few weeks”. IPV6 is having the highest security
levels possible which will be very helpful for deploying
IoT and other applications with enhanced security
features. Now, Customers shall be using multiple
devices at home and office, all these devices shall need
an exclusive addressing scheme for which IPV6 is the
right way forward.
15. CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla has inaugurated the
1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation
and Cyber Forensics at CBI Headquarters, New Delhi.
Note: The two-day conference covers one of the
mandates of CBI which is to investigate crimes with
inter-state and international ramifications. According
to Mr. Rishi Kumar Shukla, Cybercrimes pose unique
challenges to law enforcement officers and such crimes
are complex and require certain skills and forensic
skills for detection. The conference is aimed at creating
the platform and bringing together investigators,
lawyers, forensic experts and academia to discuss
challenges related to cybercrime and ways to find
solutions.
16. Central Government to invest Rs 25,000 crore in 5
years to revamp Fishery infrastructure.
Note: With the objective of achieving the real goals of
the ambitious Blue Revolution project, The Union
Government has lined up Rs 25,000 crore investments
in different sectors of fisheries in the next three to five
years. As inland fisheries contribute only 50 per cent of
the total fish production, the Government intends to
outspread its potential by covering reservoirs,
wetlands, rivers and streams in different parts of the
country. Considering the low contribution of inland
water fisheries, the Government looks to increase its
production to six million tonnes from three million
tonnes in the next three to four years.
17. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has released
'Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)' in Hindi and 'The
Republican Ethic (Volume 2)' in English in New Delhi.
Note: In order to promote and disseminate selected
speeches of President Ram Nath Kovind, Publications
Division under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
has published 'Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)' and 'The
Republican Ethic (Volume 2)'. They are a compilation of
95 speeches delivered by the President during his
second year in office (July 2018 to July 2019). The
books will be available on Kindle and other e-platforms
18. Former President Pranab Mukherjee has released the
book of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia titled
‘Siksha’.
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Note: The book ‘Siksha’ had two parts - ‘fixing of
foundation of education’ and ‘using education as
foundation for India’.
19. Country's first 'Fun Zone' for children at
Visakhapatnam railway station.
Note: In a first of its kind in the Indian Railways, a paid
gaming zone has been provided at Visakhapatnam
railway station (platform number- 1) in Andhra
Pradesh.The gaming zone (400sft area) is for bonafide
passengers/rail users who can utilize this facility with a
payment of Rs 50 per game during their visit to the
railway station.The project was developed under
NINFRIS (New, Innovative Non-Fare Revenue Ideas
Scheme) of the ministry of railways.
20. The 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED)
held in New Delhi.
Note: The Indian side led by Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman
Dr Rajiv Kumar and the Chinese side by Chairman of
National Development and Reforms Commission
(NDRC).The SED was set up between the erstwhile
Planning Commission and National Development and
Reform Commission of China during the visit of Chinese
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to India in December 2010.
It has served as an effective mechanism for enhancing
bilateral practical cooperation.
21. Microsoft India has partnered with Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE) to build AI learning for
schools.
Note: They will conduct capacity building programmes
for high school teachers with an aim to integrate cloud-
powered technology in K12 teaching. The programme
is for teachers of grades 8-10 and will be conducted in
10 cities across the country. The programme will
provide teachers with better access to the latest
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
tools.
22. The week-long annual Joint Indo-Lanka maritime fleet
exercise has been started in SLINEX 2019.
Note: Sri Lankan Navy has sent two ships to India to
participate in the exercise with the Indian Navy.The
offshore patrol vessels, SLNS Sindurala and Suranimala
left Trincomalee on are scheduled to arrive at the port
of Visakhapatnam. The week-long exercise will be
attended by 323 Sri Lankan navy personnel including
the commanding flag officer of the naval fleet.
23. PM Modi has inaugurated the first Metro Coach in
Mumbai under the ‘Make in India’ initiative at Jio
World Centre, Mumbai.
Note: The coach has been built by Bharat Earth
Movers (BEML) at its Bengaluru facility in flat 75 days.
Maharashtra is pumping in over Rs 1.2 lakh crore to
build 14 metro corridors stretching 337-km over the
next decade. The prime minister inaugurated AURIC
(Aurangabad Industrial City) business and
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administrative building and dedicated DMIC AURIC City
to the nation.
24. The Union government will spend 3.5 lakh crore
rupees in the next five years on Jal Jeevan Mission.
Note: Jal Jeevan Mission has been launched in order to
free women from the trouble of having to toil hard to
fetch water. Jal Jeevan Mission involves saving water
and delivering water at one's doorstep. Under MUDRA
scheme, one woman in every SHG will get a loan of 1
lakh rupees and this will help them start new ventures
and grow their business.
25. The first conference of Military Medicine for Shanghai
Co-operation Organization (SCO) Member States held
in New Delhi.
Note: The conference is the first Military co-
operation event hosted by India, under the SCO
Defence Co-operation Plan 2019-2020, after it became
an SCO Member State in 2017. The conference
conducted with the aim to share best practices in the
field of military medicine, build capacities and
overcome common challenges.
26. India’s first-ever helicopter summit held in
Dehradun.
Note: 'Helicopter Summit- 2019' was organized jointly
by Civil Aviation Ministry, Uttarakhand government
and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industries (FICCI). The summit was based on the theme
of expanding connectivity through helicopters.
27. PM Modi and Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli
have jointly inaugurated through video conference
Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline.
Note: This is the first transnational petroleum pipeline
form India and first South Asian oil pipeline
corridor.The pipeline will ensure smooth, cost-effective
and environment-friendly supply of petroleum
products to Nepal. The 69 km long pipeline from
Motihari in Bihar to Amlekhgunj in Nepal has been
constructed by India in just 15 months, half of its 30
months deadline.
28. Member-countries of the WHO South-East Asia
Region has resolved to eliminate highly infectious
childhood killer diseases measles and rubella by 2023.
Note: A resolution to eliminate the diseases was
adopted at the 72nd session of the WHO Regional
Committee for South-East Asia in Delhi. Measles
elimination and rubella control have been a regional
flagship priority since 2014. India continues to grapple
with 39,299 cases, ranking fourth among 194 countries
in the number of measles cases registered between July
2018 and June 2019.
29. DRDO successfully flight tested an indigenously
developed low weight, fire and forget Man-Portable
Antitank Guided Missile (MPATGM) in the ranges of
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
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Note: The missile hit the target in top attack mode and
destroyed it with precision. The missile is incorporated
with state-of-the-art Infrared Imaging Seeker along
with advanced avionics. The test paves the way for the
Army to have developed third-generation man-portable
Anti-Tank Guided Missile indigenously.
30. Ministry of Railways is observing ‘Swachhta-Hi-Seva
Pakhwada’ across its entire network from 11th
September to 2nd October 2019.
Note: Prime Minister of India at an event on Swachhta
Hi Seva (SHS) offered Shramdaan at Mathura leading
and giving a message to the nation on the removal of
plastic waste. According to Shri Piyush Goyal
(Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry),
officers and staff of all departments to be involved in
various activities during ‘Swachhta-Hi-Seva
Pakhwada’. Mr Goyal also directed Zonal Railways to
upload selected photographs on E-Drishti, Minister’s
dashboard for monitoring purposes.
31. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the
'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana' at
Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Note: The Scheme shall secure the lives of 5 Crore
Small and Marginal Farmers by providing a minimum
pension of Rs 3000 per month, to those who attain 60
years of age. Prime Minister also launched the National
Pension Scheme for the Traders and The Self-
Employed. The scheme aims at providing a minimum
assured pension of Rs 3000, to small traders and self -
employed after attaining the age of 60 Years. Around 3
Crore Small traders would be benefited from the
scheme. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the New
Vidhan Sabha Building of Jharkhand.
32. Tech giant ‘Samsung’ has introduced two mobile
applications named -- ‘Good Vibes’ and ‘Relumino’
Note: Good Vibes has been launched for deafblind to
enable them to have two-way communication with
their caregivers, family and friends. Good Vibes app
uses Morse code, which converts vibrations (a
combination of dots and dashes that the deafblind can
interpret) into text or voice (on the caregiver’s app)
and vice-versa. 'Relumino' is a visual aid application for
people with low vision to help them see images clearer
by magnifying and minimizing images, highlighting the
image outline, adjusting colour contrast and brightness,
and reversing colour. National Association for the Blind
(NAB) will use Relumino in classrooms where students
with low vision will use these devices to see better,
thus, helping them improve their learning abilities.
33. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat flagged
off Great Ganga Run-2019 at Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium,New Delhi.
Note: Large number of people from all age groups
participated in the marathon. Participation of the
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people in the run corroborates the fact that people are
not only aware of the importance of water but are
active to conserve the important resource. It was
organized to create awareness about the river Ganga.
Jal Shakti ministry will organise Ganga Expedition from
October 9 as well.
34. The Defence Research Development Organization
(DRDO) handed over the second Airborne Early
Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft to the Indian Air
Force (IAF) ‘Netra’.
Note: An Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC)
aircraft ‘Netra’ had played a stellar role during the
Balakot airstrikes that had been carried out by the IAF
in February 2019. It provided surveillance and radar
coverage to the five Mirage jets that bombed terror
launch pads in Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
province in Pakistan. It has been designed and
developed by scientists of the DRDO, with assistance
from the Bengaluru-based Centre for Airborne Systems.
35. Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' (HRD Minister) has
launched a major programme offering 1,000 PhD
fellowships to ASEAN students at IITs in India.
Note: The country's partnership with South-East
Asian nations has developed historically through a
shared quest for knowledge. It is only natural that
knowledge remains the fundamental driver of people to
people ties.Those selected can complete their PhD with
Government of India funding at par with Indian
counterparts.
36. India’s first central police university to come up in
Greater Noida.
Note: The country’s first central police university will
be set up by the Union home ministry off the Yamuna
Expressway in Greater Noida. The university will offer
undergraduate and postgraduate courses on policing,
internal security, cybercrime and forensic sciences.
37. Union Ministers Piyush Goel and Hardeep Singh Puri
have jointly launched the Steel Import Monitoring
System (SIMS) in New Delhi.
Note: In this system, the importers of specified steel
products will register in advance on the web portal of
SIMS, providing the necessary information. SIMS has
been developed, in consultation with the Ministry of
Steel, on the pattern of US Steel Import Monitoring and
Analysis (SIMA) system.SIMS will provide advance
information about steel imports to Government and
stakeholders (steel industry (producers), steel
consumers(importers)) for effective policy
interventions.
38. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar flagged off a
Jaldoot vehicle a travelling exhibition in Pune.
Note: The van carrying the ‘SAVE WATER’ message will
travel to different parts of the state.The Union
Government has launched the ‘Jalshakti Abhiyan’, a
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water conservation campaign focusing on 1592
stressed blocks in 256 districts across the country.
39. Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah has
presided the 5th International Ramayan Festival in
New Delhi.
Note: The three days International Ramayan Festival
has been organized by the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR). Ramayan is one such scripture of
India that has transcended Personal, Religious, Societal,
Cultural and National boundaries and reached a global
audience. 17 countries have participated with their
artists and rendered their versions of Ramayan. The
ICCR was established with the vision of propagating
Indian culture and its values to the whole world and
organizing Ramayan festival is one way to realize this
vision.
40. India’s first National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub
inaugurated in Kolkata.
Note: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
Director General (DG) Balram Bhargava has
inaugurated India’s first National Antimicrobial
Resistance (AMR) Hub in Kolkata. AMR is the ability of
a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once
could successfully treat the microbe.The Kolkata centre
would be the hub for research on antibiotic resistance
not only for the country but for entire South Asia.
41. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flew in the Light
Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas at HAL (Hindustan
Aeronautical Limited) airport in Bengaluru.
Note: Tejas is a twin-seater, single-engine, delta wing,
multi-role light fighter designed by the Aeronautical
Development Agency (ADA).Tejas is produced by
Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) for the Indian
Air Force.
42. ISRO has inked an MoU with the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) for development of
human-centric systems and technologies for the Human
Space Mission Gaganyaan.
Note: ISRO is on course to its target of sending Indian
astronauts to space by 2022 under the ‘Gaganyaan’
project, which entails an investment of Rs. 10,000
crores. On the other hand, DRDO is committed to
providing all necessary support including customized
technological capabilities to ISRO for the human space
flight within the stringent timelines.
43. Jal Shakti Ministry has taken an initiative to develop
National Water Museum to raise awareness among
people on the conservation of the natural resource.
Note: According to an official release, the Ministry is
also organizing two-day International Workshop from
today which will be attended by experts from India and
abroad.The outcome of the workshop will be a
blueprint for establishing the proposed National Water
Museum under the aegis of Jal Shakti Ministry. During
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the workshop, possible broad composition, the content
of the museum including highlighting importance of
water and its current state in different regions of the
country, possible solutions, traditional and modern
water management practices and localised success
stories are proposed to be discussed.
44. President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga arrived
in New Delhi on a five-day state visit.
Note: Mr. Battulga has been accompanied by a high-
level official and business delegation.The visiting
dignitary will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice
President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. Mr Battulga will also participate in an
India-Mongolia Business Forum in New Delhi. During
his stay, the Mongolian President will visit Agra, Bodh
Gaya and Bengaluru.
45. Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has launched Waste Management
Accelerator for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs
(WAWE-2019) summit.
Note: The schemes will work towards providing
students with the best education to keep pace with the
rapidly changing world. It will be jointly organized by
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and
Institute of Waste Management (IIWM) at Jaipur. This
initiative stating that it will empower women and
encourage entrepreneurship among youngsters. WAWE
Summit 2019 is a great initiative for women who have
skills in their hands and it will further empower and
motivate them
46. Telangana Government has decided to declare 2020 as
Year of Artificial Intelligence(AI).
Note: The State Government will be organizing various
activities related to emerging technology throughout
the year. This comes in the backdrop of emerging talent
pool as well as renewed focus by industry and other
ecosystem players on AI space in last 4-5 years.
Throughout the year 2020, the state government will
be running multiple programs, meetings and activities
such as hackathons, masterclasses and other activities.
47. Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a 7-day
visit to the United states.
Note: During his visit, Mr. Modi will address the United
Nations General Assembly on 27th of this month. On
22nd September, Prime Minister Modi will address the
Indian community at the NRG Stadium in Houston,
Texas at 8.30 pm (India Standard Time) and President
Donald Trump will also be there. Around 50,000 people
are expected to attend the event Howdy,
Modi!’."Howdy", short for 'How do you do?' is a friendly
greeting commonly used in the south-western US.
48. Ministry of Mines has allowed Steel Authority of
India Limited (SAIL) to offload in a year up to a
quantity equivalent to maximum 25% of total iron ore
production in previous years.
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Note: It will be subject to clearance from the respective
State Governments, where the mines are located, after
following due procedure. Around 7 million tonnes of
iron ore, produced at its different mines in the States of
Jharkhand, Odisha and Chattisgarh, can be offloaded by
SAIL to the domestic market after getting necessary
clearance from the State Governments. This will enable
SAIL to not only fulfil its own requirement but also to
partially cater to a shortfall in domestic iron ore
requirement.
49. India’s first environment school named World
Environment School, Coorg (WESc) will come up at
Coorg, Karnataka.
Note: WESc will be open for students of Grade 6 to 12
from India and around the world from the year
2021.It will be the first school in India and South Asia
to take a leading role in promoting and delivering
environmental education with sustainability at its core.
50. A new book by award-winning author Paro Anand will
mark the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi --
Being Gandhi.
Note: The book 'Being Gandhi, explores not Gandhi the
man or his life as a leader, but really the Gandhian way
that must remain relevant to us.The story revolves
around a boy, Chandrashekhar, who is bored of doing
projects on Gandhi.
51. India’s largest power company NTPC Ltd. has planned
to set up 5 gigawatts (GW) solar park at Kutch,
Gujarat.
Note:A site has been identified for the project, which is
expected to cost as much as Rs. 25,000 crores and begin
operations by 2024.The project is part of the NTPC
target to build 32 gigawatts (GW) of renewable
capacity by 2032 in order to reduce the share of fossil
fuels in its energy mix to 70% from about 96%.
52. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has proposed the idea
of a single multipurpose identity card for Indian
citizens.
Note: Multipurpose identity card would have all
utilities such as Aadhaar, driving license, passport and
bank accounts merged into one.Amit Shah laid the
foundation stone of Janganana Bhawan or Census
Building in New Delhi.According to Home Minister Amit
Shah, the 2021 census (8th since Indian independence)
will be a “digital census” and the data will be collected
through a mobile app. The National Population Register
is being prepared for the first time in the 2021 census.
53. The Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched
‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle inherited genetic diseases
of new-born babies in New Delhi.
Note: The new initiative aims at creating awareness
about genetic disorders amongst clinicians and
establish molecular diagnostics in hospitals so that the
benefits of developments in medical genetics could
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reach patients.According to Mr. Vardhan, congenital
and hereditary genetic diseases are becoming a
significant health burden and there is a need for
adequate and effective genetic testing and counselling
services.
54. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has set up
a National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) for assessing
tax returns electronically without any personal contact
between officials and taxpayers.
Note: The initiative is a part of government efforts to
reduce human discretion in assessments and scrutiny,
which in turn will eliminate possibilities of corruption,
by leveraging new technologies like artificial
intelligence, machine learning, video conferencing,
telecommunication application software and mobile
applications.
55. The Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari has
inaugurated the 16th Global SME Business Summit-
2019 in New Delhi.
Note: The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Making
Indian MSMEs Globally Competitive’.According to Mr.
Gadkari, MSME will soon launch a new E-Commerce
website ‘Bharat Mart’ to enable MSMEs to sell their
products in local as well as international markets.This
summit is organized by the Ministry of MSME and
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) every year.
56. A single emergency number has been launched for
police, fire and ambulance emergency services in Delhi
-- 112.
Note: Now, the citizens of Delhi can avail the facility of
all these three emergency services by dialling the
number '112'.This call immediately passes to the
Control Room for providing immediate assistance to
the distress caller.
57. A new comic book series ‘Professor Ayushman’
conceived by the National Medicinal Plants Board
(NMPB) was unveiled by the -- Ayush ministry.
Note: This interesting comic book will raise awareness
in children about the importance of medicinal plants
and their usage. The comic book, conceived by the
National Medicinal Plants Board, talks about plants like
Aloe Vera, Tulsi, Amla, Giloy, Neem, Ashvagandha and
Brahmi.
58. Union Govt. has reconstituted the Economic Advisory
Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) for a period
of 2 years.
Note:Dr. Bibek Debroy will continue as Chairman and
Mr Ratan P. Watal will continue as the Member
Secretary.The reconstituted advisory panel will be
effective from 26th September 2019. The strength of
the reconstituted EAC-PM has been reduced from five
to four (two full-time members and two part-time
members).
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59. Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (I/C)
Shri Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the exhibition of
India Tourism Mart (ITM) 2019 in New Delhi.
Note:The Ministry of Tourism and the Federation of
Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH)
have jointly organized this Mart.Over 240 international
delegates from 51 countries and 160 exhibitors from
across the country are taking in the part in the second
edition of ITM.The Mart will provide a platform at the
national level for trade and hospitality service
providers in the country to interact and conduct
business with their counterparts from overseas.
60. The Union Government has approved construction of
1.23 lakh more houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana (Urban).
Note: The 47th Central Sanctioning and Monitoring
Committee approved 630 proposals from participating
states for construction of 1.23 lakh houses with an
overall investment of 4,988 crore rupees.Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana (launched in June 2015) is an
initiative by Government of India in which affordable
housing will be provided to the urban poor with a
target of building 20 million affordable houses by 31st
March 2022.
61. Former president Pranab Mukherjee has released a
book titled -- Reset: Regaining India’s Economic
Legacy.
Note: The book was authored by BJP MP Subramanian
Swamy, published by Rupa Publications India.The book
tracks the country’s economic development over the
years and offers solutions for future growth
62. The 5th edition Indian International Science Festival
(IISF) in Kolkata. (5th to 8th November 2019)
Note: The theme for 2019 is “RISEN India – Research,
Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation”.
The objective of the festival is to celebrate India’s
scientific and technological advancements with the
participation of students, innovators, scientists,
craftsmen and farmers.
63. The state govt. has decided to ban the usage of single-
use plastic water bottles, glasses, plates from 2nd
October 2019.
Note: The state government wants to promote eco-
friendly and re-usable items in the coastal state.Last
month, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed a bill
banning manufacture, sale and use of single-use plastic
items and carry bags, with a penalty ranging from Rs
2,500 to Rs. 3 lakh for violators.
64. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr.
Harsh Vardhan has launched TB Harega Desh Jeetega
Campaign.
Note:The Union Health Minister also flagged off a van
for the National TB Prevalence Survey. All twenty-
five vans will be part of the prevalence survey, which
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shall take 6 months and be carried out across the
country.
65. Who will come out with a memoir on death and grief,
drawing on a string of personal losses - of his parents
and a beloved pet -- Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi.
Note:In 'Loss', the author will chart the landscape of
bereavement as he takes the reader down the dark,
winding path to healing.Some of the other books by
Goa-based Siddharth are “The Last Song of Dusk”, “The
Lost Flamingoes of Bombay” and “The Rabbit & the
Squirrel”.
66. India, the US and Japan began the trilateral maritime
exercise in the Pacific Ocean -- Malabar 2019.
Note: ‘MALABAR 2019’ would endeavour to further
strengthen India - Japan - US Naval cooperation and
enhance interoperability, based on shared values and
principles.Two front lines indigenously designed and
built Indian Naval Ships, the Multipurpose Guided
Missile Frigate Sahyadri and ASW Corvette Kiltan, will
participate in the Exercise.
67. 2nd edition of ‘Singapore - India Hackathon’ has been
organized at IIT Madras, Chennai.
Note: India-Singapore Hackathon is the first of its kind
joint International hackathon between India and
Important News – State
1. The Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has
announced a 4,750 crore rupees waiver on interest and
penalty on Crop loans.
Note: The farmers who have borrowed from Primary
Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS), District
Cooperative Central Banks, Land Mortgage Bank and
Haryana Land Reforms and Development Bank will
benefit from this decision. This will benefit around 10
lakh farmers of the state. Around 85,000 farmers had
taken loans worth 3,000 crore rupees from the District
Cooperative Central Banks.
2. Uttar Pradesh Police has launched a mobile application
‘C-Plan app’ to keep a tab on anti-social elements
prevailing across the state.
Note: it will verify the received information and counter
these criminal activities in time. The department has
identified 10 people in every village, known as
Sambhrant-10, across the state who will inform about
anti-social elements, simmering communal tensions or
land disputes taking place in their respective villages
through the app.This initiative will help the state to have
better community policing and bringing down the crime
rate by improving the police-public partnership with the
help of technology.
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Singapore during which the selected bright students
from India and Singapore.They will work in
collaboration to develop an innovative and out-of-the-
box solution for some of the daunting problems faced
by our societies.
➢ This year, the hackathon is focused on quality
education, Good Health and clean energy.
68. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned
into the Indian Navy -- INS Khanderi.
Note: On the same occasion, the Defence Minister also
inducted P-17 Shivalik-class frigate Nilgiri and the
aircraft carrier drydock into the Indian Navy.
69. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has
named a minor planet after Indian classical singer --
_Pandit Jasraj.
Note: The asteroid (located between Mars and Jupiter)
was discovered on 11th November 2006, by the
Catalina Sky Survey, whose telescopes are based in
Arizona in the United States.
70. Smt. Renuka Singh (Minister of State for Tribal Affairs)
has inaugurated the 11-day ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ at Noida
(UP).
3. Gujarat Government and the Delaware State of America
have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for
Sister state.
Note: MoU was signed in Gandhinagar when a delegation
of Delaware State of America called on Gujarat Chief
Minister Delaware’s Vijay Rupani. According to official
sources, cooperation in the field of services and
investment opportunities in GIFT IFSC have also been
discussed during the meeting. Sectors like Biotechnology
University, biosciences, financial services, animal
husbandry and dairy, port services have been shortlisted
for future cooperation.
4. The Delhi state Cabinet has decided to include other
backward class (OBC) and general category students in
its Jai Bheem Mukhyamantri Yojana.
Note: The government also enhance financial assistance
from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. one lakh for coaching for various
competitive exams. Earlier, the scheme was only for the
scheduled caste category students under which financial
assistance of up to Rs. 40,000 would be provided.
5. OSDMA (Odisha State Disaster Management
Authority has won the IT Excellence Award, 2019 for
its innovative conception by using information
technology in the field of disaster management.
Note: The “SATARK” (System for Assessing, Tracking and
Alerting Disaster Risk Information based on Dynamic
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Risk Knowledge) application has been chosen for the
award. This app has been developed to provide real-time
watch, alert and warning information for different
natural disasters and hazards such as heatwave,
lightning, agriculture risk, flood, tsunami, earthquake,
cyclone or storm, road accident and snakebite.
6. Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 68th
Plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in
Guwahati, Assam.
Note: Governors and Chief Ministers of North Eastern
states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim) have attended
the 2-day event. There will be presentations from various
ministries and state governments on various
developmental issues which are critical to the North East.
7. The most popular annual harvest festival is being
celebrated in Kerala -- Onam.
Note: It is a 10-day long festival from Atham to
Thiruonam. Onam celebrations include Onasadya,
Onakodi, Pookkalam, Vallam Kali, Pulikali etc. The
festival is celebrated to commemorate King Mahabali,
whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.
8. Kerala will set up India’s first international women’s
trade centre (iWTC), in consonance with the United
Nations.
Note: This will not only help women to develop and
expand their ventures and build relationships but also be
a platform for their creative expression. It is envisaged as
a safe space away from home for women to harness their
entrepreneurial capabilities, set up or expand their
businesses and get their products marketed globally. The
first phase of iWTC, being executed under the gender
park’s “Vision 2020”, is scheduled to be completed by
2021.
9. Odd-even rule to combat pollution will be applicable in
Delhi between 4 to 15th November 2019.
Note: Under the odd-even scheme, cars with licence
plates ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) & even
number (0,2,4,6,8) allowed to ply on alternate days,
except weekends. Earlier, exemptions were granted to
women, VIPs and two-wheelers. This is the third time
odd-even rule will be rolled out in Delhi. Delhi
government will also distribute N-95 masks to people in
November.
10. The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to
launch an online service to adopt a cow and provide
sheds to them at across the State.
Note: The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to
launch an online service for those wanting to adopt a cow
and provide sheds to them at gaushalas (cow shelters)
across the State. While paying for a cow’s feed for 15
days would cost Rs. 1,100, one could take care of its diet
for 10 years for Rs. 3 lakhs. While a lifetime adoption
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costs Rs 3 lakh, those willing to adopt a bovine for a year
will have to pay Rs 21,000.
11. Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar has
launched two insurance schemes Mukhyamantri
Vyapari Samuhik Niji Durghatna Beema Yojana’ and
‘Mukhyamantri Vyapari Kshatipurti Beema Yojana’
for traders of the state.
Note: ‘Mukhyamantri Vyapari Samuhik Niji Durghatna
BeemaYojana’(Around 3.75 lakh beneficiaries): The
benefit of insurance would be admissible in case of
accidental death, permanent disability and damage to
two body organs, or eyes or one organ or one eye.
‘Mukhyamantri VyapariKshatipurti Beema
Yojana’(Around 3.13 lakh beneficiaries) It is an insurance
cover scheme ranging from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 25 lakhs
would be provided.
12. The three-day-long traditional Neermahal Jal Utsav
concluded with eye-catching boat race and swimming
competitions at Rudrasagar lake.
Note: Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb
flagged off the boat race. Neermahal is a water palace
built at the middle of Rudrasagar lake by Maharaja Bir
Bikram Kishore Manikya in 1930 as his summer resort
being inspired by the Mughal style of architecture.
13. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu
dedicates Dikshi Hydroelectric Project to people of the
state.
Note: The 24 Mega Watt Hydroelectric Project has been
installed at Dikshi Village in West Kameng District in
Arunachal Pradesh. It is a Run-of-the-River project
constructed on the river Phudung by Devi Energies
Private Limited.
14. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has
announced that the Hyderabad-Karnataka region has
been renamed as Kalyana Karnataka.
Note: The Hyderabad Karnataka region comprises six
north-eastern districts of Karnataka Bidar, Kalaburagi,
Koppal, Ballari, Yadgir and Raichur. A separate
secretariat would be set up for the development of
Kalyana Karnataka, through which funds would be
released for developmental work.
15. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has
launched Mukhya Mantri Service Resolution Helpline
number 1100 for the speedy and time-bound redressal
of public grievances.
Note: The helpline number will make use of the latest
technologies to help people register their complaints
online, making the whole procedure paperless and lessen
the footfall in government offices. Now, Himachal
Pradesh has become the fourth state (after Uttarakhand,
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) in the country to
have such a helpline. Mantri Service Resolution Helpline
will function 6 days a week (Monday-Saturday) from 7
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am to 10 pm.Every complaint will be resolved within a
period of 7-14 days.
16. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has launched a
newly integrated one-touch mobile app ‘Tatpar’.
Note: ‘Tatpar’ app (developed by the Delhi Police) is a
one-stop destination for access to over 50 citizen-centric
services. With the help of this app, people can navigate to
their nearest police station, traffic pit and prepaid taxi
booth. The app amalgamates all the websites and mobile
applications of the Delhi Police. 'Tatpar' app is another
step from Delhi Police to provide its services to the
citizens of Delhi in a convenient online mode on 24x7
basis.
17. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been inaugurated a
resurfaced Advance Landing Ground (ALG) at
Vijaynagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
Note: It will enable operations by military transport
aircraft at the base near the China border. The Indian Air
Force has made eight advanced landing grounds
(Vijaynagar, Ziro, Aalo, Pasighat, Tawang, Mechuka,
Walong and Tuting) in the country till date with a cost of
720 crores.
18. Kerala Govt. has inked an MoU with the Maldives to
strengthen cancer care.
Note: Maldives has also sought RCC's support to create a
cancer registry in that country. The MOU was signed
between Abdulla Ameen (Maldivian Minister) and K K
Shylaja (Kerala Health Minister) in the presence of the
state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
19. The first-ever “Jammu International Film Festival” will
be held in Jammu.
Note: 37 short films and documentaries from 11
countries will be screened at the inaugural edition of
Jammu International Film Festival. The festival will also
present an annual ‘Inspiring Icon Award‘, which will be
given to a person, who hails from the region and has
made it big in the film industry.
20. Assembly elections in Maharashtra (288 seats) and
Haryana (90 seats) will be held on 21st October 2019.
Note: Notification will be issued on 27th of this month
and the last date for filing nominations will be 4th
October. The scrutiny will be held on 5th October and the
last date for withdrawal of the nomination will be 7th of
October.The counting of votes will take place on 24th
October this year.
21. The Uttar Pradesh Govt. has celebrated the first
anniversary of PM Jan Arogya Yojna, as Ayushman
Bharat Day.
Note: Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath has felicitated the
beneficiaries and volunteers called ‘Ayushman Mitra’ in a
function in Lucknow.The state is celebrating Ayushman
Bharat fortnight from 15th September to 2nd October.
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➢ Under the scheme, more than 36 lakh golden
cards have been issued in the last year in the
state.
22. Who will be hosting the 2nd flower festival of the year
during the North-East Monsoon___ Udhagamandalam-
Ooty.
Note:
➢ Preparatory works for the elaborate exhibition of
colourful and fragrant flowers have started in the
famous Botanical Gardens in Udhagamandalam.
➢ More than eighty-five exotic varieties, including
predominantly English flowers like Dahlia,
Merigold, Calendula and Daisy will be exhibited
during the festival.
23. Tickets will be issued to women passengers under the
Delhi government’s scheme for free travel in DTC and
cluster buses -- Pink tickets.
Note: The scheme has been approved till March 2020
and it will be rolled out on Bhai Dooj on 29th October
2019.Women travelling in DTC and cluster buses will be
given pink tickets having a face value of Rs 10 each.
24. Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has
launched a housing loan subsidy scheme to provide
financial assistance on purchase or construction of the
first house for a family -- Aponar Apon Ghar.
Note: Subsidy up to 2 lakh 50 thousand rupees will be
provided for loan amounts from five lakh to 40 lakh
rupees.This scheme is meant for the loan sanctioned in
this financial year.
25. The Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister
Narendra Singh Tomar has launched two agriculture-
related Mobile Applications -- CHC Farm Machinery and
Krishi Kisan.
Note: The Custom Hiring Service Centers (CHC App) will
allow farmers to avail the custom hiring services of CHCs
located in the radius of 50 Kilometres.
26. President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated Gandhi
Katha by Pujya Morari Bapu in New Delhi.
Note: The life of Gandhiji is like an epic and millions of
people across the world are listening to his life story and
getting inspiration from it.
27. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned the
Indian Coast Guard Ship at a special function held at
Chennai Port --ICGS Varaha.
Note: The ship is the fourth in the series of seven
offshore patrol vessels of the Coast Guard.It is equipped
with 30 milli-metre gun and has an integrated bridge
system, platform management systems, automated
power management system and high-power external
fire-fighting system.
28. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath
announced that Bhopal Metro will be known as_Bhoj
Metro.
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Note: A target has been set to complete the metro rail
project in Bhopal by 2023.The total system consists of 2
corridors covering a distance of 27.87 kilometres, cost
approximately USD 1.2 billion.
29. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
announced an annual support to the victims of triple
talaq till their rehabilitation -- Rs. 6,000.
Note: The victims of triple talaq came under the Pradhan
Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK). The state govt also
gives rights over waqf properties and also called for
Important News – World
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia to take
part in the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF)
summit.
Note: PM Modi has also attended the 20th annual
summit between Russia and India. According to
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, both India and Russia
want to move beyond the conventional cooperation in
defence and nuclear civil cooperation to the new areas
of the economy. Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is an
international forum held each year in Vladivostok,
Russia, for the purpose of encouraging foreign
investment in the Russian Far East.
2. Japan will launch a special police unit equipped with
submachine guns and helicopters to patrol disputed
isles in the East China Sea.
Note: According to the National Police Agency, it had
put in a budget request for an additional 159 officers to
head off illegal landings on remote islands by armed
groups. It was the first-time police had stepped up
patrols near the disputed islands. The Japanese
Government has long complained about China's routine
dispatch of coastguard ships to waters surrounding the
islands.
3. Asia's first 5th Generation Virtual Reality based
Advanced Driver Training Simulator Centre was
launched at the AASI, Chennai.
Note: Under 'Safe Drivers Campaign', AASI (Automobile
Association of Southern India Centre) will train 200
Ambulance drivers in the first six months, free of cost.
The patented simulator was ideated, designed and
developed by Chennai based Red Chariots Technologies
Pvt Ltd. The training session is a combination of level-
based practical learning modules coupled with self-
learning theory modules through an interactive e-
learning quiz app built in-house.
4. India-Russia Annual Summit 2019 held in Vladivostok,
Russia.
Note: Mr Modi also participated as the Chief Guest at
the 5th Eastern Economic Forum. India also announced
a line of credit worth USD 1 Billion for the development
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several welfare measures that should be undertaken for
their rehabilitation.
30. Jharkhand government has named Jamtara districts
Karmatand block as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar block___
Note:Now the block will be known as Ishwar Chandra
Vidyasagar prakhand. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
spent 18-years of his life at Karmatand. Jamtaras
Karmatand prakhand (block) was the ‘karma bhumi’
(workplace) of social reformer and a strong supporter of
women’s education Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
of the Far East region of Russia. Indian PM further
launched Indo-Russian Innovation Bridge, an online
platform to bridge the gap between Indian and Russian
startup ecosystems and promote joint innovations.
5. UAE hosted the 24th edition of the World Energy
Congress.
Note: The 24th World Energy Congress will
commence in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United
Arab Emirates (9-12 September 2019). The four-day
World Energy Congress aims to bring together
international energy stakeholders, including
governments, private and state corporations, academia
and media. The theme of this World Energy Congress is
Energy for Prosperity which also represents the
ambitious and dynamic energy transition of the
country.
6. The U.K. has decided to re-introduce the two-year
post-study Visa for International students.
Note: It will boost the opportunities for talented
students to build successful careers thereafter their
education. According to the British High Commission,
the new ‘graduate’ route will be open to all
international students, who have valid U.K. immigration
status as a student. The move comes after intense
debate and demand by the universities in the U.K. that
feared losing talent to other countries.
7. President Ram Nath Kovind embarked on an official
nine-day visit to Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia.
8. Vietnam has inaugurated Southeast Asia's largest solar
power farm which has the capacity to produce 688
million kWh of electricity per year.
Note: The Dau Tieng Solar Power Complex is a joint
venture with the Thai industrial group B.Grimm Power
Public Company and has an investment of more than
USD 391 million. It is expected to generate 10% of the
country's solar energy to guarantee supply to 320,000
homes. It will also prevent the emission of 595,000 tons
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year.
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9. The Nepal Infrastructure Summit 2019 (3rd) was
held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Note: It deliberates on issues that shape incentives for
investment and enable the private sector to partner for
sustainable prosperity. The theme of the two-day
summit is "Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable
Development".
10. Joint Military Exercise between India and Thailand will
be conducted at Foreign Training Node, Umroi
(Meghalaya) -- MAITREE-2019.
Note: Indian and Royal Thailand Army (RTA)
comprising 50 soldiers each will participate in the
exercise with an aim to share experience gained during
various counter-terrorism operations in their
respective countries. The joint military exercise will
enhance the level of defence co-operation between
Indian Army (IA) and Royal Thailand Army (RTA)
which in turn will further foster defence cooperation
and bilateral relations between the two nations.
Exercise MAITREE is an annual training event which is
being conducted alternatively in Thailand and India
(since 2006).
11. Saint Vincent & the Grenadines became the 79th
country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Note: The International Solar Alliance is a group of 121
solar resource-rich countries with headquarters in
Gurugram, India. The organization aims to deploy over
1,000 gigawatts of solar energy and mobilise more than
USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030.
12. President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated a bronze
bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Villeneuve, Switzerland.
Note: The bust was unveiled to mark the visit of
Mahatma to Villeneuve in 1931. The idol sculpted by
Ram Vanaji Sutar is placed on a high pedestal made of
sandstone extracted from Switzerland.
13. Sri Lanka has unveiled South Asia’s tallest tower
called ‘Lotus Tower’ in Colombo.
Note: The Lotus Tower (17-storey) is spread over an
area of 30,600 sq. metres, with a height of 350-metre
and overall cost, is above USD 100 million. The Lotus
Tower will function as a TV tower, a hotel, a shopping
mall and a conference centre. In 2012, Sri Lanka and
China signed the Lotus Tower agreement to build the
tower, with China National Electronics Import and
Export Corporation being the general contractor.
14. India is the leading country of origin of international
migrants in 2019 with a 17.5 million-strong diaspora.
Note: The International Migrant Stock 2019, a dataset
released by the Population Division of the UN
Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides the
latest estimates of the number of international
migrants by age, sex and origin for all countries and
areas of the world. The report says that India hosted
5.1 million international migrants in 2019, less than 5.2
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million in 2015. After India, Migrants from Mexico
makes the second-largest diaspora (11.8 million),
followed by China (10.7 million), Russia (10.5 million),
Syria (8.2 million), Bangladesh (7.8 million), Pakistan
(6.3 million).
15. The 55th Indian Technical and Economic
Cooperation (ITEC) Day was celebrated at the High
Commission of India in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Note: Around 300 ITEC alumni from all walks of life,
attended the programme. Over 4,000 young
Bangladeshi professionals have undergone specialized
short and medium-term courses in India under the
ITEC programme since 2007. ITEC offers opportunities
to participants to avail of short- and medium-term
courses in premier institutions like IITs and IISCs in
India.
16. The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair
(SIBF) will be organized from 30th Oct to 9th Nov
2019.
Note: The book fair will be held at the ‘Expo Center’ in
Sharjah, with the participation of selected writers,
novelists and artists from around the world.Authors,
publishers, intellectuals and artists worldwide will
bring their experiences and expertise to this prominent
event and partake in a vibrant cultural
programme.UNESCO has named Sharjah as the World
Book Capital City for the year 2019 in recognition of the
city’s continuous efforts in promoting books and
literacy.
17. North African country will hold the Presidential
election on 12th December this year -- Algeria.
Note: Abdelkader Bensalah has resigned in April
following mass protests.The announcement comes after
Army chief General Ahmed Gaid Salah insisted that
polls be held by the end of this year, despite ongoing
protests demanding the creation of new institutions
ahead of any elections.
18. PM Narendra Modi addressed 74th session of United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Note: PM Modi also inaugurated Gandhi Solar Park at
the UN headquarters and Gandhi Peace Garden later in
the day.Prime Minister Narendra Modi also
participated in UN Secretary General's Summit on
Climate Change.
19. The Southern Railways has announced a special
schedule for the Heritage Hill Railway from
Udhagamandalam to Mettupalayam.
Note: Special trips of the mountain train on the
picturesque route, hugging the verdant Western Ghats,
will be run on all weekends from October 5th to
November 29th.This coincides with the second flower
season in the world-renowned hill station.The
Southern Railways announced in Mettupalayam
wherefrom the train starts that the day-time service
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will have halts at Kallar, Hill Grove, Aruvankadu,
Wellington and Coonoor.
20. The 2019 UN Climate Action Summit was held in New
York, United States.
Note: UN 2019 Climate Summit theme was ‘Climate
Action Summit 2019: A Race We Can Win. A Race We
Must Win’.Purpose of UN Climate Action Summit 2019
is to increase the commitments of government,
business and civil society to achieve the goals of the
Paris Agreement and work to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by at least 45 percent by 2030, and a target
of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
21. PM Modi along with other world leaders have
inaugurated the Gandhi Solar Park (50 kilowatts) at
the UN headquarters in New York.
Note: They also released a commemorative stamp
issued by the UN on Gandhi's 150th birth
anniversary.UN Secretary-General António Guterres
and number of heads of state were present on the
occasion.
22. Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket towards the
International Space Station from the Japan Aerospace
Honor & Awards
1. Narendra Modi will be honored with the prestigious
2019 Global Goalkeeper Award’.
Note: Mr. Modi will be felicitated by the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, owned by Microsoft founder Bill
Gates and his wife Melinda Gates. The award is a
“special recognition” that celebrates the commitment of
a political leader towards the Global Goals,
demonstrated through impactful work in their country
and/or globally. The annual awards, in five categories,
are presented to leaders and individuals for their
efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). The categories are Progress, Changemaker,
Campaign, Goalkeepers Voice and the Global
Goalkeeper.
2. Prof Muhammad Yunus conferred 'Lamp of Peace of
Saint Francis ' award by Vatican.
Note: Nobel Laureate from Bangladesh Professor
Muhammad Yunus was conferred the 'Lamp of Peace of
Saint Francis ' award by the Vatican for his contribution
towards establishing peace and harmony. The award is
a recognition for distinguished work by an individual
for promoting peace and dialogue among people. The
Lamp of Peace award was first given to the Polish trade
union leader Lech Walesa in 1981.
3. Vaishno Devi Shrine has been adjudged as the Best
Swachh Iconic place in the country in the 'Swachh
Iconic Places'.
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Exploration Agency’s _____Tanegashima Space Center,
Japan.
Note: This Rocket is considered as the world’s biggest
transport spaceship.
23. The 7th annual World Hindu Economic Forum
(WHEF) 2019 held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Note: The theme of (WHEF) 2019 was “Prosperous
Society: Stronger Society”.The World Hindu Economic
Forum (WHEF) describes itself as an independent
international organization committed to making Hindu
society prosperous through the creation and sharing of
surplus wealth.
24. India’s rank in world digital competitiveness rankings
2019__ 44th.
Note:The US was ranked as the world’s most digitally
competitive economy, followed by Singapore (2nd) and
Sweden (3rd),India’s biggest improvement in 2019 was
in the technology sub-factor level, where it held the
first position in telecommunications investment.
Note: The list was released by the Ministry of Jal
Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
The President has conferred the prestigious award
during the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’ on 6th September 2019.
The Shrine was in direct competition with dozen other
iconic places including Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
(Maharashtra), Taj Mahal (Uttar Pradesh), Tirupati
Temple (Andhra Pradesh) Golden Temple (Punjab)
Manikarnika Ghat (Varanasi), Ajmer Sharif Dargah
(Rajasthan) among others. In 2018, the Shrine was also
declared as the cleanest religious place by the
IndiaToday Group.
4. India’s vice-captain is going to help build awareness
for the need to conserve the Greater One-Horned
Rhinoceros -- Rohit Sharma.
Note: Rohit Sharma is launching Rohit4Rhinos
campaign, in partnership with WWF India and Animal
Planet, on World Rhino Day (on 22nd September),
where Rohit pledges to do his bit to save the
"vulnerable" species from extinction. Rohit Sharma
joined WWF India as its Brand Ambassador for Rhino
Conservation in 2018. Animal Planet will run a series of
path-breaking programmes during 'Rhino Week' to
sensitize people about these gentle giants
5. President’s Secretariat has announced recipients of
Visitor’s Awards 2019 for research.
Note: The Awards will be presented for Research in
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences,
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Biological Sciences and for Technology Development.
Professor Sibnath Deb will be awarded for his
research in the field of child protection, especially his
focus on child abuse and neglect, student’s mental
health and HIV/AIDS. Professor Sanjay Puri will be
awarded for his research in the field of non-equilibrium
statistical physics and nonlinear dynamics. Professor
Asad Ullah Khan will be awarded for identifying
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem in India:
mechanism of spread and control of AMR. Dr Partima
will be awarded for her research on nano biosensors
and nano-bio interactions especially early-stage cancer
diagnosis using nanomaterials bases biosensing
platform. Dr Shaon Ray Chaudhuri will be awarded
for Technology Development, for developing microbial
biofilm reactor for conversion of dairy wastewater into
biofertilizer.
6. Priyavrata (16-years) has become the youngest person
to clear Tenali Pariksha.
Note: The Tenali examination having 14 levels is
taken twice a year by the students studying the
"Shastras". Tenali Pariksha is conducted under Shri
Kanchi Veda Vedanta Shastra Sabha. Priyavrata studies
all Vyakarana Maha Granthas from Sri Mohana Sharma.
7. Noted Odia writer Pradeep Dash will receive the
prestigious ‘Sarala Puraskar-2019” for his poetry work
‘Charu Chibar O Charjya’.
Note: Sarala Puraskar will receive a cash award of Rs. 5
lakhs along with a citation at a special function
scheduled to be held on 26th October 2019. It has been
continuously awarded by Indian Metals Public
Charitable Trust (IMPaCT). The 'Sarala Puraskar' was
instituted by eminent Odia industrialist late Dr
Bansidhar Panda and late Ila Panda in 1979 & awarded
by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT).
8. Dr Yusuf Hamied has been inducted as an honorary
fellow of the Royal Society.
Note: Dr Yusuf Hamied (Chairman of Cipla) was
elected as an honorary fellow of the Royal Society for
his service to the cause of science. A total of 51 new
Fellows and 10 foreign members were elected to the
Royal Society in 2019. Royal Society is the independent
scientific academy of the UK and the Commonwealth
which is dedicated to promoting excellence in science.
9. Pawan Munjal will be inducted into the 2019 Asia
Pacific Golf Hall of Fame for his support to the sport
in India and around the world.
Note: With the honour, he will join the legendary
players such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and other
leading personalities such as David Chu who were
bestowed with the highest honour in the Asia Pacific
golf industry. The induction ceremony will be held on
6th November at the 2019 Asian Golf Awards Gala
Banquet at DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurugram.
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10. India’s envoy to United Arab Emirates Navdeep Singh
Suri has been honoured with the First-Class Order of
Zayed II award by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al
Nahyan.
Note: Mr Suri was given the honour in recognition of
his efforts during his tenure and his contribution to the
development and strengthening of relations between
the UAE and India. Suri has been heading the Indian
mission in the UAE since October 2016.
11. Geoffrey Boycott & Andrew Strauss honoured with
‘Knighthoods’ by Theresa May in her resignation
honours list.
Note: Both former cricketers have received the honour
for their services to sport after outstanding careers for
England. Geoffrey Boycott played 108 tests between
1964 and 1982 for England and scored 8,114 Test runs
at an average of 47.72.Andrew Strauss played 100 tests
for England from 2004-12, scoring more than 7,000
runs at an average of 40.91.
12. Veteran music director Usha Khanna has been
conferred the “Lata Mangeshkar Award” for the year
2019-20.
Note: The award presented by the Maharashtra
government, the Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime
Achievement, consisted of cash reward of Rs 5,00,000, a
citation, a trophy and a shawl. Usha Khanna first
composed super hit songs for the Asha Parekh debut
film “Dil Deke Dekho” (1959). Some of her famous
songs are “Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein”, “Hum tumse juda
hoke, mar jayenge ro roke” “Jiske liye sabko chhoda”.
13. Sheikh Hasina has received the Dr Kalam Smriti
International Excellence Award 2019 in Dhaka for
her contribution in fostering cooperation between
India and Bangladesh.
Note:Chief Adviser of the Dr Kalam Smriti
International Advisory Council and former Ambassador
T.P. Sreenivasan handed over the award to
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The award
citation lauded Prime Minister Hasina for her vision
of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia, free of tension,
conflicts and terrorism.
14. Bangladesh’s bamboo-made school wins Aga Khan
Award for Architecture.
Note: Bangladesh’s bamboo-made school built by
Arcadia Education Project at South Kanarchor in
Keraniganj has won the 2019 Aga Khan Award for
Architecture.T he award was given away in Kajan, the
republic of Tatarstan for the Arcadia Education Project
in South Kanarchor of Bangladesh. The winners that
include five other structures in Bahrain, Palestine,
Russia, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates will share
USD 1 million between them.
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15. Wing Commander Anjali Singh has become India's
first female military diplomat to be posted in any of
the Indian missions abroad.
Note: She has joined the Indian Embassy in Russia as
the Deputy Air Attache. Until now, only male officers
from the three services (Indian Air Force, Navy and
Army) were appointed as military attaches in overseas
Indian missions. Anjali Singh (hails from Bihar) is from
the aeronautical engineering branch of the Indian Air
Force (IAF) with 17 years of service, trained on MiG-29
aircraft.
16. Meghalaya’s Right to Information (RTI) activist has
been awarded the 11th International Hrant Dink
Award in Istanbul -- Agnes Kharshiing.
Note: Kharshiing, who was assaulted by a group of 40
people for complaining against illegal mining and
transport of coal in the East Jaintia Hills district. The
Hrant Dink Award is an annual award presented by the
Hrant Dink Foundation on the birth anniversary of
Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.
17. Bollywood actor Neena Gupta has registered a double
victory at Indian International Film Festival of
Boston.
Note: The 'Badhaai Ho' actor won Best Actress award
while her film 'The Last Color' emerged victorious in
Best Feature Film category.The directorial debut of
world-renowned chef Vikas Khanna 'The Last Color'
deals with taboo surrounding widows in Vrindavan and
Varanasi in India.The film's first look was unveiled at
the Cannes Film Festival and has since travelled around
the world to various film festivals including New York
Indian Film Festival 2019 and Indie Meme Film Festival
among others.
18. Noted Indian photographer Raghu Rai has been
chosen as the first recipient of international
photography award.
Note: The award is in honour of the celebrated
American-born French photographer and filmmaker
William Klein, best known for his unusual photography
techniques. As a consecration award, the prize is
intended to reward a photographer for their entire
career and commitment to photography.
19. Noted mathematician Anand Kumar has been
felicitated in the US with a prestigious Education
Excellence Award 2019.
Note: The Foundation For Excellence (FFE) awarded
him on the occasion of the organisation’s 25th
anniversary gala in San Jose, California. Anand has been
running a highly innovative Super 30 programme for
the last 18 years to mentor 30 student free of cost
through year-long residential coaching for India’s
premier IIT-JEE.
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20. Kerala Tourism has won three prestigious PATA Gold
awards.
Note: Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold
awards include one for an ethnic food restaurant run by
women at Kumarakom under its Responsible Tourism
Mission.The awards presented at a glittering function at
Nur-Sultan (Astana) in Kazakhstan were received by
state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and
Tourism Director P Bala Kiran.
21. Indian playback singer has been honoured with
‘Magnificent Performing Arts Award’ at the 21st
Century Icon Awards in London, United Kingdom (UK) -
-Sonu Nigam.
Note: These annual awards are the brainchild of UK-
based Indian-origin entrepreneurs Preeti Rana and
Tarun Gulati (co-founders of Squared Watermelon
Ltd).The 2019 edition of awards attracted more than
700 nominations which were narrowed down to 44
finalists.
22. Argentine footballer won the FIFA's best male player
of the year award 2019 -- Lionel Messi.
Note: Messi beats Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo
to win the Best Men's Player award.
➢ American footballer Megan Rapinoe has won the
Best FIFA Football Women's Player award 2019.
➢ Rapinoe beat Alex Morgan and Lucy Bronze to win
The Best Women's Player award.
➢ Jurgen Klopp (Germany) has won the best FIFA
men's coach award.
➢ Daniel Zsori (Hungarian-Romanian) received
FIFA’s Puskas award.
23. Senior journalist Ravish Kumar has received the first
Gauri Lankesh National Award for Journalism .
Note:Ravish Kumar was chosen for the award for sharp
news analysis and uncompromising secular stance by
the Gauri Lankesh Memorial Trust.The award was
presented to him by freedom fighter H.S.
Doreswamy.Indian journalist-turned-activist Gauri
Lankesh was shot to death by assailants outside her
home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bangalore.
24. Shondol dance has created history by entering into
the The royal dance of Ladakh ‘Shondol dance’ as the
largest Ladakhi dance.
Note: 'Shondol' is a famous dance, which artistes used
to perform for the king of Ladakh.As many as 408
women attired in traditional dresses and beautiful
headgears performed the dance.It was held on the
concluding day of the ongoing Buddhist carnival
Naropa festival near the Hemis Monastery.
25. Bollywood's megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been
selected for the Dada Saheb Phalke award (for the
year 2018) .
Note:The award consists of a golden lotus (Swarn
Kamal), a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs and a shawl. He first
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gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as
'Zanjeer', 'Deewaar' and 'Sholay'. The ‘Dadasaheb
Phalke Award’ is India's highest award in cinema.
26. PM Narendra Modi has been awarded with "Global
Goalkeeper" award by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched
by his government.
Note: Mr Modi dedicated the award to those Indians
who transformed the Swachh Bharat campaign into a
"people's movement" and accorded topmost priority to
cleanliness in their day-to-day lives.
27. International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF)
honoured the Indian track and field legend with a
Veteran Pin -- PT Usha.
Note: IAAF chief Sebastian Coe presented her the
Veteran Pin during the 52nd IAAF Congress in Doha,
Qatar. Usha's most memorable performance came in
the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where she became the
first Indian to reach the finals of the 400m hurdles but
lost the bronze by one-hundredth of a second.
28. The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for 2019 will be
awarded to mathematician --Adam Harper.
Note:
29. Payal Jangid has become the first Indian to receive the
‘Changemaker Award 2019’.
Sports News
1. India. lifted SAFF Under-15 Championship title in
Kolkata.
Note: India defeated Nepal 7-0 in the final of the 2019
SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) U-15
Championship at the Kalyani Stadium, Kolkata, West
Bengal. Five teams (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India (Host),
Nepal and Sri Lanka) from the region has taken part in
this tournament.
2. Indian Shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor clinched
silver medal at an athletic meet at Deci in the Czech
Republic.
Note: The Asian Games gold medalist came up with the
best throw of 20.09m in his last attempt at the event.
Tajinder has been awarded the Arjuna Award this year.
Toor has already qualified for World championship
being the Area champion following his gold-winning
feat at Asian Athletics Championships in April next
year
3. Charles Leclerc won the F1 Belgian Grand Prix
2019.
Note: Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom) was on
second while Valtteri Bottas (Finland) finished third.
The Belgian Grand Prix is an automobile race, part of
the Formula One World Championship.
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Note:The Award was presented by the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation at a ceremony held in New
York, United States.She awarded for her work towards
the abolition of child marriage in her village (Hinsla
village- Rajasthan) and other neighboring areas.
30. As per the 8th IIFL (India Infoline Finance Limited)
Wealth-Hurun India Rich List 2019, who has once
again emerged as the richest man in India -- Mukesh
Ambani.
Note: Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd Mukesh
Ambani emerged as the richest man of India with a
total net worth of Rs 3.8 lakh crores.The number of
Indians in the 2019 edition of the list has grown from
831 (in 2018) to 953
31. As per the annual Airport Service Quality survey
(conducted by the ACI), Airport Council International
has recognized the best airport in terms of services
offered to passengers Cochin International Airport
Limited (CIAL).
Note: CIAL was ranked amongst the best airports in the
5-15 million categories in the Asia Pacific region for the
year 2018.The award was presented to the authorities
of Cochin International Airport at the second Annual
ACI Customer Experience Global Summit held at Bali,
Indonesia.
4. Jasprit Bumrah has become the third Indian to claim a
hat-trick in Test cricket.
Note: Bumrah got the wickets of Darren Bravo,
Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase off successive
deliveries to achieve the feat. Burmah is also the 44th
player to achieve the feat in the longest format of the
game. Harbhajan Singh was the first Indian to pick up a
Test hat-trick (vs Australia in Kolkata in 2001).
5. India's most successful Test skipper -- Virat Kohli.
Note: It came after the Indian team recorded its 28th
win under Kohli's leadership in the second and final
test against the West Indies at Kingston. M S Dhoni led
India to 27 wins from 60 Test matches during his
tenure. Overall, Graeme Smith (former South Africa
skipper) remains the most successful skipper in the
world with 53 Test wins, followed by Ricky Ponting
(ex-Australia captain) who recorded 48 Test wins in
his captaincy tenure.
6. Indian Shooter Yashaswini Singh ‘Deswal’ has won
the gold medal in the women’s 10meter Air Pistol
event at the ISSF World Cup at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Note: This is India’s 9th quota in shooting for 2020
Tokyo Games. Yashaswini Singh Deswal has also
secured an Olympic quota for India. The 2019 ISSF
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World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF World Cup
in the Olympic shooting events, governed by the
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).
7. Indian women's cricket ODI (One Day International)
Captain Mithali Raj has announced her retirement
from T20 Internationals.
Note: She wants to focus on her ODI career, keeping
in mind the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand. Mithali
ended her T20 career with 2,364 runs from 89
matches at an average of 37.5 and the highest score of
97 not out. In 203 ODIs, she scored 6,720 runs at an
average of 51.29, with seven hundred.
8. Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza has
announced to retire from international cricket after
conclusion of Bangladesh & Afghanistan T20I Tri-
series.
Note: He is a right-handed batsman and occasional
right-arm medium-pace bowler. Hamilton
Masakadza has represented Zimbabwe in 38 Tests
(2223 runs), 209 ODIs (5658 runs) and 62 T20Is
(1529-run). In his overall international career, he
scored 9,410 international runs including 10
international tons and 42 half-centuries.
9. The Indian boy team has settled for a silver medal at
the Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis
Championships at Ulaanbaatar, Mongoli.
Note: The second place helped Indian boys qualify for
the World Junior Championships to be held at Korat,
Thailand (Nov 2019).
10. Afghanistan players Rashid Khan has become the
youngest skipper ever in Test cricket.
Note: Afghanistan Spin sensation Rashid Khan (20
years and 350 days old) has become the youngest ever
Test skipper at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium
in Chittagong. Rashid beat the previous record held by
former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu (20 years and
358 days) by a mere 8 days. India's Mansur Ali Khan
Pataudi rounds up the top-3 in this regard, having
made his captaincy debut against West Indies at the
age of 21 years and 77 days on March 23, 1962
11. Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed as
head coach and chief selector of Pakistan’s cricket
team.
Note: Former fast bowler Waqar Younis will join him
as the team’s new bowling coach. Misbah-ul-Haq
scored over 10,300 international runs, played 75 Tests,
162 ODIs and 39 T20Is matches for Pakistan in a
career which ended on 14th May 2017.
12. Steve Smith has become the second Australian player
after Allan Border to score 500 and more runs in the
consecutive Ashes series in England.
Note: Steven Smith reached this milestone after he
added 122 runs in the ongoing fourth Ashes Test. In
2015 Ashes which took place in England, Smith scored
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508 runs while this time in his third match he
crossed the 500 runs mark. Before Smith only Border
had amassed the 500 plus runs consecutively in the
Ashes in England. The Ashes is a Test cricket series
played between England and Australia at least once
every two years.
13. Indian woman athlete Anupama Swain has won
bronze medal in the World Martial Arts Mastership
Jiu-Jitsu 2019__
Note: Now she qualified for 2022 Asian Games. she
was the only Indian to participate in the championship.
Jiu-Jitsu is a form of martial art and combat sport and it
puts the entire focus on grappling with particular
emphasis on ground fighting.
14. Rafael Nadal has won 2019 US Open men's singles
title.
Note: Spain’s Rafael Nadal (34-years) defeated Russian
Daniil Medvedev 7–5, 6–3, 5–7, 4–6, 6–4 to claim US
Open Men’s tennis tournament - 2019 (139th edition)
in New York (USA). It was Rafael Nadal fourth US Open
title and 19th Grand Slam title
15. Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu has lifted
the Women's singles title of US Open 2019.
Note: She won the Grand Slam defeating Serena
Williams of US in straight sets 6–3, 7–5. It was the first
time a Canadian tennis player claimed the Grand Slam
singles title.
16. India Red has won the Duleep Trophy 2019–20 at M.
Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Note: India Red thrashed India Green by an innings
and 38 runs in the final to win the Duleep Trophy
2019–20. Right-arm off-spinner Akshay Wakhare
picked up a brilliant five-wicket haul to hand India Red
the Duleep Trophy title. Abhimanyu Easwaran was the
leading run-scorer for India Red adjudged the Player of
the Match.
17. Sri Lanka’s fast bowler Lasith Malinga has become
the first T20I bowler to take 100 wickets.
Note: Malinga surpassed Pakistan spinner Shahid
Afridi's tally of 97 scalps to become the leading T20
wicket-taker. He also took a hat-trick, dismissing 4
batsmen (Hamish Rutherford, Colin de Grandhomme,
Ross Taylor and Munro) in 4 consecutive deliveries
and became the first-ever bowler to pick up 2 hat-
tricks in T20I cricket. Till now Lasith Malinga has
claimed 5 hat-tricks in his international career.
18. Kieron Pollard has been named as West Indies' new
one-day international (ODI) and Twenty20
International (T20I) captain.
Note: Kieron Pollard is a medium-pace bowler and big-
hitting batsman in the middle-order. Jason Holder
remains the West Indies Test captain. Pollard was part
of the West Indies squad that won the 2012 ICC Men's
www.gradeup.co
T20 World Cup Pollard was part of the West Indies
squad that won the 2012 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
19. Charles Leclerc has won the Italian Grand Prix
2019 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza track, Italy.
Note: Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes
finished the race at 2nd and 3rd position respectively.
Ferrari's last win at Monza came in 2010 through
Fernando Alonso. The Italian Grand Prix is the fifth
oldest national Grand Prix (after the French Grand
Prix, the American Grand Prize, the Spanish Grand Prix
and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since
1921.
20. The 8th edition of Ladakh Marathon was held in Leh.
Note: It claims to be the highest marathon in the
world, held at a height of 11,500 to 17,618 feet (3,505
to 5,370 m). Over 6000 runners from 25 countries
participated in the four categories of Ladakh Marathon.
The 9th Edition will be held in 2020 will be a qualifying
race for the Abbot World Marathon Majors. The
Ladakh Marathon is organised by India's Rimo
Expeditions with the support of the Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).
21. Ronaldo Laitonjam has won his fourth gold medal on
the concluding day of Track Asia Cup Cycling
competition in New Delhi.
Note: India emerged overall champions as its players
picked up three medals in the day, two gold and one
bronze. Overall, India topped the medals tally (10 gold,
8 silver and 7 bronze) as the tournament came to an
end at the IGI Sports Complex. Uzbekistan finished
second, with 4 gold and 3 silver and Malaysia secured
third place, with 4 gold and 1 silver.
22. Pankaj Advani clinched record 22nd world titles by
winning a 4th straight final in the 150-up format at
the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Myanmar.
Note: In a repeat of last year's final against local
favourite Nay Oo, Pankaj re-enacted the one-sided
match with the same eventual outcome as well as
identical scoreline of 6-2. Pankaj Advani has brought
home a world trophy every year ever since returning
from a professional stint in the UK in 2014. In the short
format of billiards, this is Advani's fifth title in the last
six years.
23. Sourabh Verma has won Vietnam Open Super 100
title 2019.
Note: India's Sourabh Verma (Madhya Pradesh)
recovered from a mid-game slump to beat Sun 21-12,
17-2, 21-14 at the Ho Chi Minh City. The 2019
Vietnam Open is the seventh Super 100 tournament of
the 2019 BWF World Tour and also part of the Vietnam
Open championships. This tournament is organized by
the Ho Chi Minh City Badminton Association and
sanctioned by the BWF.
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24. Indian shuttler Kaushal Dharmamer clinched the
Myanmar International Series.
Note:Kaushal Dharmamer had won the Hatzor
International in October last year, recovered after
dropping the opening game to outwit Karono 18-21,
21-14, 21-11 in a match that lasted an hour.
25. Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched men's singles
title of Belgian International Challenge.
Note: Lakshya Sen stunned second seed Victor
Svendsen (Denmark) in straight games to clinch men's
singles title at the Belgian International Challenge.The
Belgian international is an international Badminton
open tournament, held since 1958 but in irregular
periods.
26. India clinched the Under-19 Asia Cup title (eight
editions) at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
Note: Defending a paltry total of 106, India dismissed
Bangladesh for 101 in 33 overs.The 2019 Under-19
Asia Cup cricket tournament was held in Sri Lanka
from 5th September to 15th September 2019.8 teams
participated in the tournament, including 5 full
members (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
Afghanistan) and three qualifiers (Kuwait, Nepal and
United Arab Emirates).
27. Australian batsman Steve Smith has become the
highest run-scorer in a Test series of this century.
Note: Steve Smith finished the Ashes series 2019 with
774 runs from the 4 matches at an average of over 110
with 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries. Earlier, Smith
went past his own record of scoring 769 runs against
India during the 2014-15 season.
28. Spain won the Basketball World Cup in Beijing, China.
Note: France went on to win the bronze medal for the
second consecutive time after defeating Australia.With
32 teams, this was the biggest Basketball World Cup
ever. The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the
18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for
men's national basketball teams. The next world cup
will be held in 2023 in Japan, Indonesia and the
Philippines.
29. Former Indian Cricket all-rounder Dinesh Mongia
has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
Note: Mongia went on to play 57 ODI for India where
he scored 1230 runs at an average of 27.95 but never
played a Test cricket match. Dinesh Mongia was last
seen on a cricket field (in 2007) playing for Punjab,
before being banned by the BCCI for joining the Indian
Cricket League (ICL)
30. American swimmer Sarah Thomas has become the
first person to swim across the English Channel four
times non-stop in a 54-hour feat of endurance.
Note: Ms Thomas swam from England to France and
back - twice - in just over 54 hours.It should have been
a total distance of about 80 miles (129 km) but the
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tidal pulls in the Channel increased the distance by
more than 60%, meaning she ended up swimming
nearly 130 miles (209 km). Sarah Thomas completed
treatment for breast cancer a year ago. The English
Channel is the body of water that separates southern
England from northern France and links the southern
part of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
31. A smiling panda (Bing Dwen Dwen) and walking
Chinese lantern (Shuey Rhon Rhon) were revealed as
the Beijing 2022 Winter and Paralympic Games.
Note: The mascots were revealed at a ceremony at the
Shougang Ice Hockey Arena in Beijing, China.In
Mandarin, “bing” means ice and “dwen dwen” means
robust and lively.The panda is wearing a suit which
resembles ice.The newly launched Olympic mascot
resembles an astronaut, embracing new technologies
for a future with infinite possibilities.
32. India’s Vinesh Phogat becomes first Indian wrestler to
qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Note: Vinesh Phogat. scored an impressive 8-2 win
over the world championship silver medalist to secure
her place at the Tokyo Games.Vinesh will wrestle in the
bronze-medal bout against Maria Prevolaraki of
Greece. Earlier, she had stormed to a 5-0 win over
Ukraine's Yuliya Khalvadzhy in the first round of
repechage in the 53kg category to remain in
contention for an Olympic quota and a bronze medal.
33. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned
Sri Lankan player from bowling in international
matches for 12 months -- Akila Dananjaya.
Note: He will be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-
assessment of his bowling action after the expiry of
this one-year period.Akila Dananjaya's bowling action
came under the scanner during a Test between Sri
Lanka and New Zealand in Galle in August 2019.
34. The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup (7th edition) will
be held from 2nd to 21st November 2020 in_India.
Note: It will mark the first time that India has hosted a
FIFA women's football tournament. The FIFA U-17
Women's World Cup is an international association
football tournament for female players under the age
of 17.
It is organized by the Federation International de
Football Association (FIFA).
35. Kento Momota has won the China Open men’s
Badminton Title 2019.
36. Who has won the China Open women’s Badminton
Title 2019 --Carolina Marina.
Note:The 2019 China Open badminton tournament
took place at Olympic Sports Center Xincheng
Gymnasium in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China (17 to 22
September 2019).
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➢ This tournament was organized by Chinese
Badminton Association and sanctioned by the
BWF.
37. German racing driver has won the Formula One
Singapore Grand Prix 2019____ Sebastian Vettel
(Ferrari).
Note:
➢ Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) remained on the
second position while Max Verstappen (Red
Bull Racing-Honda) was third.
➢ The 2019 Singapore Grand Prix was a Formula
One motor race held at the Marina Bay Street
Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore.
38. Indian boxer settled for a silver medal at the AIBA
Men's World Boxing Championships at Ekaterinburg
in Russia__ Amit Panghal.
Note:
➢ He lost to Shakhobidin Zoirov (Uzbekistan) in
flyweight (48-52 kg) category, by a unanimous
decision from the judges.
➢ The past Indian medal-winners at the world
meet are Vijender Singh (2009), Vikas Krishan
(2011), Shiva Thapa (2015) and Gaurav
Bidhuri (2017).
39. Indian wrestler has won a bronze medal in men's 61-
kilogram freestyle category at the World
Championship in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan -- Rahul
Aware.
Note: Rahul beat 17th seeded Tyler Lee Graff
(America) 11-4 to ensure he finished on the podium.It
was India’s fifth medal at this edition of the World
Championships with a total haul of 1 silver and 4
bronzes.The 2019 World Wrestling Championships
were held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (14th to 22nd
September 2019).
40. Indo-Slovakian got past Italian pair of Matteo
Berrettini and Simone Bolelli 6-3 3-6 10-8 in a
tiebreaker in the hard-fought summit clash___ Divij
Sharan and Igor Zelenay.
41. India’s National women’s badminton coach has
resigned from her post -- Kim Ji-Hyun.
Note: As a result, she is unlikely to be with the Indian
team ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She has
played a vital role in helping P.V. Sindhu win the 2019
badminton World Championship gold.
42. Who has won two golds in the Asian Age Group
swimming championship at the Padukone-Dravid
Center for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru___ India’s
Kushagra Rawat.
Note: Mr Rawat has already achieved the B-mark
Olympic Standard Time in 800m freestyle, set a new
meet record by clocking 8:10.05s.Elsewhere, Srihari
Nataraj (in 25.30s) and Maana Patel (finished in 29.92)
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claimed golds in the men’s and women’s 50m
backstroke events.
43. India’s chess grandmaster won the Fide World Grand
Prix 2019 title in Skolkovo, Russia -- Koneru Hampi.
Note: The FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2019–20 is a
series of four chess tournaments (exclusively for
women), which will determine two players to play in
the Women's Candidates Chess Championship in 2021.
44. Manipur has won the Senior Women’s National
Football Championship 2019-20 held in Pasighat,
Arunachal Pradesh.
Note:India international Bala Devi (Manipur) emerged
as the highest scorer of the tournament, with 21 goals
from 6 matches.Panthoi Chanu (Manipur) was named
the best goalkeeper.
45. The Indian duo of Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta
has won the IBSF World Snooker Team title at --
Mandalay, Myanmar.
Note:The Indian pair beat Thailand's team comprising
C.Pongsakorn and D.Poramin 5-2 in the final.This takes
Advani's world title tally to a phenomenal 23rd while
Aditya claimed his maiden title.He had also won the
world billiards event at Mandalay last week.
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46. Who becomes 1st Indian cricketer to bowl 3 maidens
in T20Is -- Deepti Sharma.
Note:Deepti Sharma gave away runs only off the 19th
ball that she bowled in the India Women vs South
Africa Women match. She ended with figures of 4/8
with three of the four overs to lead India to
victory.This is the first time that an Indian has bowled
as many maidens in a T20I match.
47. Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal has won the men's
singles title of ATP Challenger Tournament at
Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Note: He defeated local favourite Facundo Bognis in
straight-sets 6-4, 6-2 to claim the 54,160 US dollars
prize money. Last month, Nagal grabbed headlines
after he made his Grand Slam debut and produced a
spirited fight against the legendary Roger Federer in
the first round of the US Open.
48. British racing driver has won the Russian Grand Prix
2019-- Lewis Hamilton (for Mercedes).
Note:This was Hamilton’s 9th win of the
season.Finland’s Valtteri Bottas (for Ferrari) was in
second, with Monaco’s Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) was
third.The 2019 Russian Grand Prix was a Formula One
motor race held at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia.
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